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Q&As for the Government’s announcement of the Cabinet paper New Start for Fresh Water

Backgrounder: New Start for Fresh Water

Land and Water Forum and the stakeholder-led collaborative process

Q: What is the Land and Water Forum and why has it been selected to run the collaborative process?
The Land and Water Forum (previously known as the Sustainable Land Use Forum) is a non-governmental group established in 2008, comprising a range of industry groups, environmental and recreational NGOs, iwi groups and other organisations with an interest in land management.  The Land and Water Forum has been requested to expand its membership to a more comprehensive range of stakeholders, covering urban, industrial and rural interests in water as well as those interested in land management.

Under the proposed collaborative process, feedback from the expanded Forum will assist the government to establish national goals and outcomes for water.  These will ultimately inform government in developing policies to address long-term needs as well as immediate problems.

Q: How will the stakeholder-led collaborative process work?
The various stakeholders working with the Land and Water Forum will establish their own processes for addressing the issues and seeking consensus on a way forward. The collaborative process is expected to report back to Cabinet on big picture goals by 30 July 2010.

As well as the Land and Water Forum process, Ministers will continue their engagement with iwi leaders on matters of shared interest with regard to fresh water.

Work within government on developing more detailed policy options and implementation of improved management tools will move alongside the collaborative process. This will include technical work needed to support the setting of resource limits and a more robust allocation system.

Q:  What engagement with Māori has occurred since 2005?
The Government has been working closely with a few Māori to gain an understanding of the position and interests of Maori with regard to freshwater.  However, the Government recognises that all Māori have a strong connection to freshwater and acknowledge that wider consultation with Māori is needed.

Q:  How will Māori be involved in freshwater management
A joint work programme is underway that explores improving the quality and the efficient use of freshwater, improving the management of undesirable effects of land-use on water quality and providing for increasing demands on water resources and encouraging efficient water management   This work is an essential part of a commitment to enhance Māori participation in freshwater management, now and in the future.

The Government will continue to work alongside Māori in the development of freshwater policy.

Q: What is the reason behind this new consultation on water policy?
There are many difficult decisions that still need to be made to manage New Zealand’s water well, and there hasn’t yet been a conversation about how we are going to balance the different interests in water. We need some shared understanding and hopefully acceptance of these issues so we can make the right decisions. We want to ensure that changes are workable and expect that to take time.

Q: What does the new strategy mean for the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management?
The Independent Board of Inquiry will continue to hear submissions on the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.  The Government will consider the recommendations of the report along with the other elements of this work programme.

Q: What will happen to the three national environmental standards relating to water which are currently in development?
Work on the national environmental standards will continue. These standards are important water management tools and will continue to meet the goals of Government’s policy direction.

Competing values on water

Q: Is the Government just going to focus on economic values around water?
No. The Government recognises the economic value of water, but also the biodiversity/ecological/environmental, cultural and social values that need to be provided for. It is expecting that careful judgements will need to be made but these decisions need to recognise all values.

The Government also recognises the need to base our water management system on solid, science-based environmental standards and limits.

Land use

Q: What kind of constraints on land use is the Government proposing?
Again, this is a discussion that needs to be held. Poor water quality is a long-term threat to New Zealand’s economy as well as the environment, and we need to preserve our water for public values and long-term net benefits. This means some constraints or other measures to limit environmental effects may be needed, but exactly what these will be is yet to be determined.

Q: Why is the Government focusing on agricultural land use?
The Government is planning to look at rural and urban issues together.  There are opportunities to maximise the value of primary production by addressing issues around rural land use and water quality.

The Government is also planning work on urban water issues, particularly around integrated water management, innovative demand and discharge management, addressing urban water infrastructure issues and reducing the adverse impacts of urban water discharges on the environment.

Allocation models

Q: Is the Government suggesting it will privatise water?
Water in our rivers, lakes and aquifers is a public resource. The Government is planning to look at ways that water can be allocated to encourage economic efficiency and growth, provide for public purposes or community values – including Treaty settlement interests, drinking water, biodiversity protection, the ability to fish and swim, and intrinsic values. These values need to be weighed up before water or assimilative capacity is allocated.

Q: Is the Government planning to introduce water metering?
Work is progressing on regulations to require metering of water take consents. Good knowledge of what water is being used is fundamental to ensuring that we make the best use of what water we have – you cannot manage what you do not measure.

Last updated: 8 June 2009