Key activities:
Soil Reuse
• Minister keynote address and work programme at the conference confirmed a commitment to progress the first three priorities of the soil reuse report:
- a national soil market assessment (with regional detail), targeted interventions
- a legislative review, and
- development of a soil management framework.
• An advisory/steering group is being set up, (to include Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport, WasteMINZ and industry)
• Additional work ongoing to engage with development industry
• A WasteMINZ and Civil Contractors NZ Memorandum of Understanding developed to enable collaboration and shared advocacy.
Conference 2026
• Successful delivery of inaugural joint conference with ALGA. Great collaboration.
• Dr Nick Kim was a highlight keynote; along with the well-attended groundwater workshop.
• The Women in Industry breakfast indicates an “appetite” for more similar events.
• Presentations https://www.wasteminz.org.nz/clm-workshop-presentations-2026
• Next year’s conference to be bigger and better – feedback for improvements already noted!
Submissions
• Engagement with health & safety expert Mike Cosman regarding an asbestos sector review. Report completion date TBC.
• Sector Group met with MCERT on 27 July to discuss successes of and proposed improvements to the Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund – watch this space for what could be significant change.
• RMA Reforms.
The key challenges facing the sector
• Key ministry change: new MCERT connections to be forged.
• Legislation: RMA, local government functions and duties
• Governance change: Local & regional government; central government elections.
• Opportunities and time available to engage; focus.
• Funding
• Engagement with other related industries – e.g. development/civil works & construction.
What the sector group is doing to address these challenges
• Invitations for MCERT to engage with the CLM sector and to present to industry through webinars.
• Legislation: submission opportunities for members through CLM/submission working groups
• Open door for members to discuss with CLM members, request responses through communications including webinars.
• Reduction of emails/communications to members through Circular; keeping to key issues and enabling members to input towards focussed responses.
• Proposed change to sector groups will enable separation of governance/strategic direction from working groups providing members with more opportunities to be involved.
• Funding partners for work streams being considered as part of project plan.
• Working relationship with ALGA and other organisations such as Civil Contractors being explored/developed.
Broader issues facing the sector group
• Challenging work environment for involvement while industry seeks to make ends meet.
• Slow or no response from government (issue complexity, changed focus/drivers, churn!)
• Pace of change including tight response times for submissions (noted also a narrowing of submission response templates probably to assist assessment by AI).