Flower Growers need to keep up with proposed changes to regulations

The NZFGA is urging flower growers who use waste oil to respond to the HortNZ survey attached to last month’s newsletter, if they haven’t already done so.

The survey is being done to find out grower’s waste oil usage and basic installation details so HortNZ can best represent growers’ interests and influence what is put into the proposed new Environmental Protection Authority “Code of Practice” for waste/used oil.

“The Government is trying to get waste oil burners to conform more to HSNO regulations. HortNZ needs to collect data about which growers use which oil etc so they might properly represent the industry before the new regulations are finalised,” says NZFGA council member Ian Kempthorne.

Mr Kempthorne says quite a few flower growers use waste oil as a form of fuel for their boilers when heating their glass houses.

“Flower growers need to fill out the survey and send it back before decisions are made. It is important for growers to be aware of any potential changes that may affect them before policy is put in place,” says Mr Kempthorne.

The new guidelines for waste oil users will go to public consultation which is likely to happen around October.