Bylaws | Camping Grounds | Funeral Directors | Hairdressers | Buskers | Offensive Trades | Tattooing and Skin Piercing | Asbestos Contamination | Methamphetamine Contamination | Recreational Water | Fees and Charges | Registering a Food Business
Our Environmental Health team is dedicated to ensuring that Invercargill residents and visitors stay safe and healthy. We do this by monitoring and inspecting a variety of activities and premises to make sure that the Council’s legislative requirements are met.
How to contact us
Contact the Environmental Health team on:
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- Phone 03 211 1777
- Email health@icc.govt.nz
Bylaws
The main bylaws that we operate under are
- The Health and Hygiene Bylaw, which sets out the standards for acupuncture, body piercing, electrolysis, and tattooing
- The Environmental Health Bylaw which includes mobile trading, the Central City liquor ban, solvent abuse, untidy sections and abandoned vehicles.
Responsibilities of the Environmental Health Team
Our Environmental Health Officers are responsible for monitoring:
- Camping grounds
- Funeral directors
- Hairdressers
- Offensive trades
- Tattooing and skin piercing
We can also provide information and advice on:
Camping Grounds
Environmental Health Officers inspect camping grounds for compliance under the Camping Grounds Regulations 1985 and the Health Act 1956.
Before their business opens to the general public, camping ground operators must also check with the Council’s Building, Resource Management and Environmental Health Sections for approval. It is important that all camping grounds comply with the requirements of all legislation, and the Council can help to ensure that this happens.
Environmental Health Officers will make sure that the activities of the camping ground do not pose any public health risks. Operators must have good operating standards and practices when they run their camping grounds.
Registration of business
Fill out an application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form when your camping ground is ready to open for business. One of our Environmental Health Officers will then make sure that you meet all of the requirements of the Regulations, and issue you with a Certificate of Registration.
You can either apply online, or in person by sending a copy of your application to:
Environmental Health Services
Invercargill City Council
Civic Administration Building
101 Esk Street
Private Bag 90104
Invercargill
Change of location or ownership
You will also need to fill out an application for registration of premises form if you transfer to a new location or when your business changes hands.
Renewal of registration
We will send you a reminder about your annual registration (the registration year starts at the end of August). It’s really important that you have a current registration certificate at all times.
An Environmental Health Officer will inspect your premises each year. Other inspections may need to be undertaken if we receive a complaint.
Funeral Directors
Environmental Health Officers inspect funeral directors’ premises for compliance under the Health (Burial) Regulations 1946.
Before you open a funeral director’s business, you must check with staff in the Council’s Building, Resource Management and Environmental Health departments so that we can be sure that you comply with the requirements of all legislation. It is important that the activities of Funeral Directors do not pose any public health risks, and that they have high operating standards and practices. The Health Act 1956 governs funeral directors.
Registration of business
Fill out an application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form when your business is ready to open. One of our Environmental Health Officers will then make sure that you meet all of the requirements of the Regulations, and issue you with a Certificate of Registration.
You can either apply online, or in person by sending a copy of your application to:
Environmental Health Services
Invercargill City Council
Civic Administration Building
101 Esk Street
Private Bag 90104
Invercargill
Change of location or ownership
You will also need to fill out an application for registration of premises form if you transfer to a new location, or if your business changes hands.
Renewal of registration
We will send you a reminder about your annual registration (the registration year starts at the end of August). It’s really important that you have a current registration certificate at all times.
An Environmental Health Officer will inspect your premises each year. Other inspections may need to be undertaken if we receive a complaint.
Apply for a change of ownership
Hairdressers
Our Environmental Health Officers inspect hairdressers and barbers, including mobile and home based businesses, to make sure that they comply with the Health (Hairdressers) Regulations 1980. The Council’s own Health and Hygiene Bylaw can also be a guide on issues such as infection risks, decontaminating equipment, and hygiene and cleanliness.
It is the operator’s responsibility to prevent infections, especially when items such as razors, scissors, combs, clippers and hairpins accidentally pierce the skin. Any amount of blood or body fluids, often invisible on equipment or on working surfaces, can transmit infection, putting both clients and staff at risk.
Successful hairdressers and barbers will always have good health and hygiene practices, with staff who make sure that their clients are safe from the spread of infectious diseases. Unclean premises and unsafe procedures can put the health of both staff and clients at risk.
Registration of business
Fill out an application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form when your hairdressing salon is ready to open for business. One of our Environmental Health Officers will make sure that you meet all of the requirements of the Regulations, and issue you with a Certificate of Registration.
You can either apply online, or in person by sending a copy of your application to:
Environmental Health Services
Invercargill City Council
Civic Administration Building
101 Esk Street
Private Bag 90104
Invercargill
Change of location or ownersip
You will also need to fill out an application for registration of premises form if you transfer to a new location, or if your business changes hands.
Renewal of registration
We will send you a reminder about your annual registration (the registration year starts at the end of August). It’s really important that you have a current registration certificate at all times.
Inspections
An Environmental Health Officer will inspect your premises each year. Other inspections may need to be undertaken if we receive a complaint.
Apply for a change of ownership
Buskers
If you intend to busk or solicit money for street entertainment in public places in the Invercargill City area, here are a few simple rules for you to follow.
1. Obtain permission from Invercargill City Council.
You will be asked to provide details of your proposed sites and activity; also your name, contact details and a copy of identification e.g. drivers licence, passport. No licence fee is charged.
2. Seek the permission of the shops and businesses where you intend to entertain.
This is a matter of both courtesy and common sense – most complaints about buskers are from businesses that feel they are adversely affected by noise, blocking window displays or congestion of their entrance-way. Similarly, prolonged playing in any one area can lead to complaints; you might like to try various sites or a series of sites in rotation
3. Be considerate!
Remember that public places are for everyone. You must not create nuisance by way of:
- Noise – loudspeakers or amplifiers require special permission, strict conditions may apply
- Obstruction of footpath or pedestrian areas – avoid shop entrances and always allow at least two metres space on all footpaths
- Distribution, exposure or sale of offensive or obsene material
- Odour or smell
- Litter
For further information download the Buskers information booklet.
Offensive Trades
Offensive trades operate under the Council’s Trade Waste Bylaw. All businesses that operate, trade, manufacture or undertake the following activities are regarded as operating an offensive trade:-
- Blood or offal treating
- Bone boiling or crushing
- Collection and storage of used bottles for sale
- Dag crushing
- Fellmongering
- Fish cleaning
- Fish curing
- Flax pulping
- Flock manufacturing, or teasing of textile material for any purpose
- Gut scraping and treating
- Nightsoil collection and disposal
- Refuse collection and disposal
- Septic tank desludging and disposal of sludge
- Slaughtering of animals for any purpose other than human consumption
- Storage, drying or preserving of bones, hides, hooves or skins
- Tallow melting
- Tanning
- Wood pulping
- Wool scouring
It is important that the waste that comes from these commercial and industrial premises is processed appropriately. (This does not include domestic sewage and wastewater systems.) It is also important that operators use good operating standards and practices, so that the quality and quantity of discharges into our waterways is controlled.
Before opening for business, offensive trade operators must check with the Council’s Building, Resource Management, and Environmental Health Services. Offensive trade businesses are inspected by Environmental Health Officers for compliance under the Health Act 1956. This is to make sure that the offensive trade activity does not create any nuisance and complies with the Act’s requirements.
Registration of business
Fill out an application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form when your business involving trade waste is ready to open. One of our Environmental Health Officers will make sure that you meet all of the requirements of the Regulations, and issue you with a Certificate of Registration.
You can either apply online, or in person by sending a copy of your application to:
Environmental Health Services
Invercargill City Council
Civic Administration Building
101 Esk Street
Private Bag 90104
Invercargill
Change of location or ownership
You will also need to fill out an application for registration of premises form if you transfer to a new location, or if your business changes hands.
Renewal of registration
We will send you a reminder about your annual registration (the registration year starts at the end of August). It’s really important that you have a current registration certificate at all times.
An Environmental Health Officer will inspect your premises each year. Other inspections may need to be undertaken if we receive a complaint.
Apply for a change of ownership
Tattooing and Skin Piercing
Tattooing and Skin Piercing businesses are inspected by Environmental Health Officers under the Health and Hygiene Bylaw to check for compliance. We also provide guidance to both operators (including home based and mobile traders) and the general public on issues such as infection risks, decontamination of equipment, disinfectants, operator hygiene and cleanliness.
Infections can occur during procedures through the use of different equipment, some of which can accidentally pierce the skin. Blood and body fluids do not have to be visible on instruments or working surfaces for infection to be transmitted. This puts both clients and operators at risk.
Successful beauty therapists, tattooists and skin piercing businesses will always have good operating practices and professionally competent staff members who make sure that they put the safety of their clients first. They provide a hygienic service in clean and pleasant premises.
Poor hygiene or unsafe procedures by operators where premises, furnishings and fittings are dirty or poorly maintained may lead to conditions that put at risk the health of both clients and operators. Poor hygiene can also contribute to the spread of infectious disease.
Registration
application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form is to be completed when the operator feels that the premises are ready to open for business to the general public. The operator will be issued with a Certificate of Registration when the Environmental Health Officer is satisfied that they meet all the necessary requirements.
Change of location or ownership
You will also need to fill out an application for registration of premises (Must be a registered user) form if you transfer to a new location, or if your business changes hands.
Renewal
Registration for the business is renewed annually every August – a reminder letter will be sent to all registered operators advising them that they need to do this.
We will carry out routine inspections on an annual basis to check for compliance. We may also inspect premises at other times if we need to collect evidence for an alleged offence.
Apply for a change of ownership
Asbestos Contamination
Properties contaminated with asbestos can be a health risk to residents, people who disturb building material containing asbestos, or to neighbouring properties. To prevent health risks associated with exposure to asbestos, different agencies work together to ensure that the effects are minimised.
You must take care when removing asbestos, especially when the material is brittle, crumbly or has contaminated dust. Removal can be undertaken by a contractor who has either an A class or B class licence. It is not necessary to use the contractors if less than 10m2 of asbestos is to be removed.
Worksafe is available to help if you need to know more about asbestos contamination. They can provide relevant information to anyone undertaking or commissioning residential or commercial work that may involve disturbing materials containing asbestos.
Testing for asbestos
If you suspect that building material may contain asbestos, you can contact Public Health South (PHS). They are available to test domestic asbestos samples for free. Samples will be sent to a laboratory in Wellington.
Once asbestos contamination has been detected or confirmed by sample results, the Building, Resource Management and Environmental Health services will liaise and discuss the contamination levels with you, and set up an action plan to remedy the situation.
Asbestos disposal
Asbestos requires a special waste permit to be disposed at the Regional Landfill. For more information visit Wastenet.
Apply for a change of ownership
Methamphetamine Contamination
Properties contaminated with methamphetamine pose a serious health risk, especially to their occupants.
The Council ensures that any information relating to meth contamination which is held on a property file is relayed to future owners through the Land Information Memorandum (LIM) process.
If you have a general enquiry or a complaint about contamination, you should contact the Police or Public Health South.
Apply for a change of ownership
Recreational Water
The term ‘recreational water’ describes any body of water (still or flowing) that people come into contact with when they undertake recreational activities (bathing, water sports, domestic shellfish collection etc). (Ministry for the Environment).
A Memorandum of Understanding has been established with parties involved in this area to work cooperatively to ensure that the water quality quidelines for marine and freshwater recreational areas are implemented and managed across Otago and Southland.
The objective of the MOU is for parties to:
- Work together to ensure safe, healthy waterways for future generations
- Ensure fresh and coastal waters in Otago and Southland are safe for contact recreation and the gathering and human consumption of shellfish
The purpose of the MOU is:
- To describe the roles of the organisations when managing the health risks associated with recreational water contact
- To develop a cooperative approach to the management of recreational water quality
- To ensure each organization participates in accordance with the MOU
- To consider new monitoring and response programmes for emergent issues
City and District Councils:
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- Communicate and educate on human health risks of recreational waters in Otago and Southland
- Advise the public when action and alert levels have been reached (as per Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Health guidelines)
- Maintain permanently erected signs where necessary. The purpose of signage is to raise awareness of potential risks, what to look for and to avoid. Signage is most useful at low performance sites which continually reach action levels due to high rainfall events/rough weather
- Maintain a register of the location of signs and status
- Assist the other agencies in pursuit of their responsibilities
If you have an enquiry you should contact Environmental Southland, Public Health South or the Environmental Health section of the Invercargill City Council.
Apply for a change of ownership
Fees and Charges
Check here for the Council’s Fees and Charges in relation to Environmental Health.
