Oil and fuels are essential to many business and farming activities, but if they are stored, used or disposed of inappropriately, they can pose a health hazard to people and animals.  Unlabelled or badly stored fuels and oil could be mistaken for drinks or toys by small children and pets.  Badly stored or disposed of fuels and oil can contaminate our soils, air and water. In Canterbury, large quantities of water are taken from rivers and groundwater for use as drinking water or for irrigation. Contamination can make the water unfit for these purposes.  

You can do your part by making sure fuels and oil on your farm or business are safely and legally managed – read on to find out more about Environment Canterbury's requirements and how to access HSNO (Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996) information.

Good storage and handling

Oil, petrol and diesel are hazardous substances that can cause harm to the environment and the health of your family, employees and stock, so must be stored and used appropriately. 

You should ensure fuel tanks are maintained and checked regularly to prevent fuel leaking into the ground, groundwater or waterways. This can also save you money by minimising fuel losses should the tank develop a leak.  Proper storage and handling practises will also help prevent spills.  If a spill does occur, you should have the right equipment and training to prevent it spreading, getting into stormwater drains or waterways, and to clean it up or seek help if it is too large.

For more information on hazardous substance management, see our Pollution Prevention section.

Tips and suggestions

• When you drain your engine oil, put a drip pan beneath the vehicle or machine’s oil pan.
• Make sure any oil or fuel stored around your farm or business is labelled correctly. 
• Store oil on an impermeable surface such as concrete, and store away from drains. 
• Check containers regularly to ensure they aren’t leaking. 
• If you spill oil, stop it from entering drains by absorbing it with sand or sawdust. Never hose it down a drain.  
• Clean up spills immediately. 
• If you have oil fired heating, ensure that your oil tank and pipes are properly installed and regularly checked for leaks. 
• If you refill vehicles from your fuel tank, make sure the bowser and nozzle are stored inside the bund so it catches any drips or leaks.

Regional rules

The way you store fuel on your farm is controlled by rules in the Proposed Natural Resources Regional Plan (NRRP).  The use and storage of oil, petrol, diesel (and agrichemicals) in above or below ground storage containers is permitted by the NRRP provided that certain conditions are met.  There are also more requirements for larger amounts of substances held.

Please contact Environment Canterbury and talk to a Customer Services Officer (03) 353 9007 and 0800 EC INFO (0800 324 636) for further information.

Up to 999 litres

If you store less than 1000 litres of oil and fuels, you need to ensure they are stored on an impervious surface, under cover and 10 m away from a bore, wetland or waterway.  In a shed with a concrete floor is the easiest way to do this.

1000 litres – 4999 litres

If you store 1000 litres or up to 4999 litres, you will need to meet additional conditions such as secondary containment, spill kits and procedures.  You can find out more about these conditions in rule WQL 43 of the Water Quality Chapter.  You can also download spill procedures, information from the Pollution Prevention Programme pages.

5000 litres or more

This amount requires a resource consent.  Please contact Environment Canterbury and talk to a Customer Services Officer (03) 353 9007 and 0800 EC INFO (0800 324 636) for further information.  Or see resource consent information on this website.

District and City Council rules

District and City councils also have rules about where or how hazardous substances are stored.  So you should check with your local district or city council what requirements they have.  You can find their contact details here.

HSNO (Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act)

There are also certain things you must do to be compliant with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO).  If you have more than 100 litres of petrol (not including what is in a vehicle's fuel tank) or have a storage tank, you should find out whether you comply with the HSNO requirements. You can do this by phoning the ERMA compliance line on 0800 376 234 or visit the ERMA website here.

Changing oil

Do:

• Use an oil drain pan this prevents spills and makes it clean and easy for you.  You can get an oil pan from your local car parts or oil retailer. 
• Drain as much oil as possible from the oil filter.  Spin it off and leave it upside-down an ice cream container to drain for 24 hours. 
• Recycle used filters through a local scrap metal dealer if you can. 
• Pour the used oil into a clean, empty container with a tight lid (e.g. the plastic container the clean oil was supplied in). 
• Take to oil to a garage or other collection facility.   

Don't:

• Don't pour it down the drain or into the gutter. Drains are connected to groundwater, rivers or streams and pollution will occur. Even small amounts can cause serious environmental problems.  
• Don't mix used oil with other materials, such as paint or solvents as this makes recycling difficult.  
• Don't throw it in the rubbish.  
• Don't bury it.  
• Don't leave it lying around indefinitely.  
• Don't burn it  -  waste oil must be re-refined before it can be burnt in Canterbury

Disposing of unwanted fuel or waste oil

It is important to make sure you dispose of unwanted or used oil and fuel safely and legally.  If you are giving it to someone, or it is collected from your site, you should make sure the person or company it is going to is re-refining it or has a resource consent to burn it or use it.  Most of Canterbury’s waste oil goes to the Holcim Cement plant on the West Coast, which can legally burn it.