Canterbury CLWRP Rules for Offal Pits: What Every Farmer Needs to Know

The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan (CLWRP) is the key document governing how farms in the Canterbury region manage their land and water. For offal pits, the CLWRP sets out specific rules about where they can be located, how they must be constructed, and when you need resource consent. Here's a plain-English summary of what you need to know.

What Is the CLWRP?

The Canterbury Land and Water Regional Plan is administered by Environment Canterbury (ECan). It sets the rules for how land and water resources are used across the Canterbury region — from irrigation and water takes to effluent disposal and, yes, offal pits. Breaching the CLWRP can result in enforcement action and fines.

Offal Pits as a Permitted Activity

Under the CLWRP, constructing and using an offal pit is a permitted activity — you don't need resource consent — provided you comply with all of the following conditions. If you can't meet these conditions, you'll need to apply for resource consent from ECan before you build.

The Permitted Activity Conditions

1. Location — Setback from Water Bodies

Your offal pit must be located at least 50 metres from any surface water body. This includes:

• Rivers and streams (including ephemeral streams that only flow seasonally)
• Lakes and ponds
• Drains and irrigation channels
• Wetlands

This setback is designed to prevent leachate from the pit contaminating waterways.

2. Location — Setback from Water Supplies

The pit must be located at least 50 metres from any bore, well, or spring used for water supply — including your own drinking water supply and any neighbouring properties' water supplies.

3. Location — Setback from Boundaries

The pit must be located at least 20 metres from any property boundary. This applies to all boundaries, including road boundaries.

4. Cover Requirement

The pit must be covered at all times when not in use. The cover must be secure enough to prevent access by animals and to minimise odour. We supply treated timber lids with a hinged opening as standard — these meet the CLWRP cover requirement.

5. Flood Hazard

The pit must not be located in an area subject to flooding. If your property floods regularly, you'll need to choose a higher site or apply for resource consent.

6. Capacity

The pit must be of sufficient capacity to contain the waste generated on the property without overflowing. There's no specific size requirement in the CLWRP, but the pit must be large enough for your operation.

What Happens If You Don't Comply?

If your offal pit doesn't meet the permitted activity conditions and you haven't obtained resource consent, you're in breach of the CLWRP. ECan can issue an abatement notice requiring you to remediate the situation, and in serious cases can pursue enforcement action and fines under the Resource Management Act.

More practically, a non-compliant offal pit can contaminate groundwater and waterways — which is a serious environmental and reputational issue for any farming operation.

When Do You Need Resource Consent?

You'll need to apply for resource consent from ECan if:

• Your proposed site is within 50 metres of a waterway or water supply
• Your proposed site is within 20 metres of a property boundary
• Your proposed site is in a flood-prone area
• Your pit is unusually large or for a commercial-scale operation

Our Approach

Every offal pit we drill is sited and constructed to meet the CLWRP permitted activity conditions. Before we drill, we'll check the proposed location against the setback requirements and advise you if there's a problem. We've been doing this for over 15 years — we know the rules and we make sure every job is compliant.

Disclaimer: This article is a general summary for information purposes only. Rules change and your specific situation may differ. Always check with Environment Canterbury (ECan) or a qualified resource management consultant for advice specific to your property.