Between May 2005 and January 2007, New Zealand generated 153 million litres of liquid and hazardous waste. Until recently, it would not have been possible to know that figure because there was nothing in place to measure waste.
Following policy review, the Ministry for the Environment has introduced a Liquid and Hazardous Waste Code of Practice, which all local authorities and waste businesses must adhere to. The key to tracking the waste is a software package licensed from Western Australia’s Environment and Conservation Department. Known there as the Controlled Waste Tracking System, it has been modified to meet New Zealand requirements and re-named WasteTrack.
WasteTrack is an internet-based database that consolidates manifest, facility and carrier data to track wastes from generation through transport to treatment or disposal. Liquid waste contractors were involved in the Ministry’s trial, which began in May 2005. Now, the system will become mandatory for them and councils by mid-2008.
The Ministry for the Environment is now seeking outsourced implementation and management for the system.
The successful bidder will administer and implement WasteTrack across all local authorities and the liquid and hazardous waste contracting industry.
It will be required to host two servers, provide the hardware, and maintain software and licensing for Windows, Red Hat Linux, an Oracle database, Crystal Reports and Cold Fusion. A decision on the selected implementation and management provider is expected mid-March.