Emergency waste funding

Local authorities can apply for funding. 

The fund may contribute to expenses related to emergency waste management, including cleanup operations, waste disposal, and waste management and minimisation infrastructure repair.

To be eligible for funding, the council must demonstrate that:

1. managing the emergency waste is reasonably necessary to address a risk to public health or the environment; and
2. managing the emergency waste, or repair or replacement of waste management and minimisation infrastructure, or both activities, is likely to be beyond the resources of the local authority. 

Please also refer to the gazetted Emergency Waste funding criteria. 

Example of what we fund

Managing emergency waste that poses a risk to people’s health or the environment such as:

• temporary systems for emergency waste collection
• specialist hazardous waste collection and disposal
• interim arrangements for waste storage and/or transport of waste to alternative facilities
• repair and replacement of waste management and minimisation infrastructure that has been damaged in an emergency event.

Example of what we don't fund 

• Routine waste management operations.
• Costs that are covered by insurance.
• Non-emergency-related infrastructure projects.
• Privately owned and operated waste infrastructure.
• Administrative costs not directly related to emergency response. 

The EWF will fund a portion of your project. As a guideline:

• typically up to 60 percent of the total eligible costs
• a higher funding proportion may be considered in cases of severe hardship. 

Step 1 – Get in touch

Contact wasteinvestments@mfe.govt.nz.

We can help you assess your project’s eligibility.

We will also ask you to provide a brief explanation of why the emergency waste management, or the repair or replacement of waste infrastructure damaged in the emergency is likely beyond your available resources.

Step 2 – Funding request

Once confirmed the project is eligible, complete the EWF funding request form and send it to wasteinvestments@mfe.govt.nz.  You will receive a confirmation email and a copy of your submission.

We will consult with the National Emergency Management Agency and other agencies and will assess your request within 10 working days.

View the EWF funding request form (XLSX, 1.3MB)

Step 3 – Funding approval

We will seek approval from the Secretary for the Environment. If the total spend per emergency event exceeds $5 million then we will seek agreement from the Minister for the Environment.

Step 4 – Deed signing and fund release

Once these steps are complete and the funding approved, the Deed of Funding can be signed allowing funds to be released.

Deed of funding example (PDF, 575KB)