Some Aucklanders are calling a potentially hefty $1500 fine for individuals washing their cars with cleaning products on driveways and letting soapy water run into stormwater drains "unfair".
They said the rule was poorly publicised and disproportionately affected individuals rather than major polluters.
"It's the Kiwi thing to do - wash your car at the front of the house," said Freemans Bay resident Tony Franklin Ross after learning car owners could face a $1500 fine for washing their vehicles with cleaning products on their own driveways, with soapy run-off flowing into stormwater systems.
The reaction followed a social media post late last year in which one user claimed a friend had been fined for washing their car at home, prompting widespread surprise and debate online.
Under amendments to the 1991 Resource Management Act introduced in September, penalties were increased for individuals and companies found to be polluting waterways, poisoning aquatic life or damaging habitats.
Individuals discharging contaminants such as cleaning products into stormwater systems faced fines of $1500, while companies could be fined up to $3000.
Auckland Council also warned organisers of community car washes, including fundraising events, to ensure run off did not enter the stormwater system if large quantities of wash water were used.
Organisers were advised to cover or block stormwater catchpits, divert wash water to unsealed ground, seek permission from Watercare to discharge into the sewer system, block catchpit outflows and remove excess water using wet vacuums.
Freemans Bay resident Tony Franklin Ross, who lives in Auckland's Freemans Bay, says local bylaws covering cash washes at home are not well advertised. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
Ross said he had no idea such a fine existed.
"It's totally unfair," he said.
Ross said the rule was not well advertised or publicised, and questioned why residents were being penalised given the scale of infrastructure upgrades underway.
"Well, considering Freemans Bay and our area, we're paying how many millions if not billions on the interceptor to separate our water systems so that we don't have that sort of problem," he said.
"Why are we having all that work done if it's still going to be problems in terms of what goes into the stormwater system? ... It seems a bit crazy, that's what storm water is there for."
Photo: 123RF
Silverdale resident Nadir Tottabaduge said he was also unaware of the fine and was shocked by its size.
"I'm very surprised that it is a $1500 fine," he said.
"It is too much because I think there are new builds that actually have very small spaces and they don't have a huge space to park your car or wash your car, so it is not fair."
He said many new developments were poorly designed, with limited driveway space and narrow roads.
"It's not fair and actually they're grabbing a lot of money from us rather than providing a lot of good service," he said.
Tottabaduge said he preferred washing his car at home because professional car washes were expensive.
Kim, who lives in West Auckland, believes penalties should be proportional to income. Photo: RNZ / Yiting Lin
An Auckland resident named Kim, who did not want to share her surname with RNZ, said she was also unaware of the rule or the fine.
She said penalties should be proportional to income, and argued councils should focus on larger polluters.
"I understand it is polluting, but like there are people doing way worse polluting," she said. "If you're not starting at the top and you're just hitting the bottom, are you really doing anything at all?
"This doesn't feel very science-based or statistics-based to me."
Kim, who lives in West Auckland, said fines such as these, as well as speeding fines, affected lower income households more than wealthier ones and were not addressing the root of the problem.
"I don't see the point," she said.
Auckland Council said it did not target households washing their cars on their driveways.
"The Resource Management Act states that people cannot discharge any contaminant into water without a consent," said Robert Irvine, the council's general manager of licensing and compliance.
"Council takes a pragmatic approach towards households, and we do not go out seeking to fine people who may be out washing their cars on a Saturday morning," he said.
"If we were to issue an infringement for such an activity, it would be in response to a complaint and where we believe the activity poses a significant environmental risk."
Irvine said Aucklanders were expected to be mindful that anything entering the stormwater system eventually flowed into streams, rivers and the sea, where it could cause harm.
"Many Aucklanders do this already to protect our vital waterways, and we thank them for being mindful of both the rules and our environment," he said.
