“If water is life, sanitation is dignity”
BRIEFING NOTE ON THE WASTE MANAGEMENT AS PART OF DETERMINING A NEW DIRECTION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN THE COOK ISLANDS

Cook Islands Infrastructure Sector Forum

The Cook Islands Infrastructure Sector Forum will be convened from Tuesday 27 - Thursday 29 July 2010. This Forum presents an opportunity in developing a more coordinated approach to infrastructure development in the Cook Islands. It anticipated that the Forum will provide an overarching framework for planning and the coordination of the delivery of infrastructure development by government, private sector and development partners.
As waste management has been identified as a critical yet problematic infrastructure issue, it is therefore necessary to conduct a pre-forum workshop solely focused on addressing waste management in the country before the Infrastructure Sector Forum proper.
This briefing note presents a summary of the issues surrounding waste management. It draws upon various reports relating to waste management in the Cook Islands.
Solid Waste Overview
In late 2008 problems with the waste management facilities in Rarotonga and Aitutaki were highlighted. These problems included possible design and construction faults and management deficiencies, including the level of operating budget provided, while the financial viability of recycling, the means of funding waste management (including recycling), and the management of awareness-creation and waste collection were identified as areas that would all benefit from further study and review.
An Action Plan was developed to address the issues and provide possible solutions, however implementation has been difficult due to a lack of coordination; clarity in roles and responsibilities and fragmented efforts in recognizing that finding solutions to waste management is the responsibility of all persons involved in the generation of waste.
Technical solutions such as engineered landfills and incineration alone will not bring about a change in attitude and behavioral changes are needed to solve our waste problem. Education and public awareness alone will not reduce waste if it does not involve all sectors of the community and technical requirements are not met.
Background
Sanitation (Liquid Waste) Overview
We are no strangers to the deterioration in environmental quality of Rarotonga and Aitutaki lagoons which threatens our public health, marine biodiversity, food sources, lagoon recreational activities and tourism development. Since 2004, progress in sanitation standards has been achieved in (1) the promulgation of the Public Health (Sewage)
Regulations 2008 which establishes higher standards of sewage treatment and (2) the development of a Public Health Piggery Waste Policy and Public Health Piggery Odour Policy. Although the Sewage Regulations have only been applied to new installations, there is provision to require existing properties (whether from householders to farmers) to comply.
There have been many reports regarding liquid waste and sanitation yet the Cook Islands does not have a comprehensive national plan for managing liquid waste despite numerous recommendation emanating from past reports. While some of the solutions recommended in past reports have been sound, others have also been deemed “politically, fiscally or culturally inappropriate”.
The pre-forum Waste & Sanitation Workshop affords the opportunity to revisit the issues and possible solutions in addressing waste and sanitation. (Forum participants to refer to Information Papers attached to programme)
Objectives:
The Waste and Sanitation Workshop has two primary objectives:
1. Identifying a way forward to dealing with waste and sanitation In fulfilling this objective, the following points should be considered:
Revisiting the issues
Establishing consensus on the issues
Determining the responses that should be taken to address the issues
Evaluating the responses – are they realistic and can they be implemented
Prioritising the responses
Identifying how will these responses be monitored and evaluated.
2. Identifying who will and how will implementation take place
In fulfilling this objective, the following points should be considered:
Establishing the facts and challenges of implementation
Examining the options for the best arrangements for implementation
Developing the strategy for structural change should change be required
Arriving at a consensus on the above strategy
The results from the Waste and Sanitation Workshop will be discussed at and incorporated into the wider Infrastructure Sector Forum.
For further enquiries, please contact the Central Policy & Planning Office
on 25-494.
Key Documents
National Sustainable Development Plan (NSDP) 2007—2010
TA 4605 - COO Preventive Infrastructure Master Plan (PIMP) Fraser Thomas 2007
TA 7022 - COO Preparing the Infrastructure Development Project, Fraser Thomas 2009
Final Report: Solid Waste Management Project Independent Review, Fraser Thomas, May 2009
Waste Management Initiative June 2010 - A proposal on how the New Zealand Government can support the Cook Islands Government and communities improve public health and environmental outcomes through effective waste management systems
Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) Project, SOPAC
Public Health (Sewerage) Regulations 2008
Public Health Piggery Waste Policy and Public Health Piggery Odour Policy
Internal audit of the implementation of the Public Health (Sewerage) Regulations 2008 and the associated
Public Health Sewerage Code, CIMRIS 2008
EU funded Muri project design documents

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