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You are here: The issues Contains: Fresh water Contains: Water Programme of Action Contains:

Sustainable Water Programme of Action: Freshwater for the Future - Government decisions

Presentation by Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Jim Anderton and Minister for the Environment, the Hon. David Benson-Pope.

Freshwater is fundamental to New Zealanders

Many demands on our water

  • Hydroelectricity generation
  • Tourism
  • Irrigation
  • Town/city supplies
  • Instream ecological needs
  • Recreation

Water quality challenges

  • Lowland streams
  • Groundwater
  • Lakes
    • Rotorua
    • Taupo

Impacts on water quality

  • Unintentional diffuse discharges (runoff and leaching)
  • Intensification of land use
  • Erosion » sediment
  • Urban activities
    • subdivision, stormwater pollution

It’s time for action!

Three outcomes for freshwater

  • Improve the quality and efficient use of freshwater by building and enhancing partnerships
  • Improve the management of undesirable effects of land-use on water quality
  • Provide for increasing demands on water & encourage efficient water management

Build and enhance partnerships

  • Leadership
  • Group
  • Local government
  • Māori
  • Industry
  • Rural and urban communities
  • Science agencies and providers

Address water quality

  • Consider value of, & options for a national policy statement on water quality
  • Develop agreed targets for activities with adverse impacts
  • Identify sensitive and at-risk catchments

Manage increasing demands

Scope and draft:

  • a national policy statement on uses and values of water
  • a national environmental standard for setting environmental flows
  • a national environmental standard for water measuring devices

Smart water management

  • Investigate transfer of water consents and role of water user groups
  • Develop methods to manage over-allocated catchments
  • Develop cost recovery methods for regional councils.

Other actions proposed

  • Develop model resource consents and conditions
  • Criteria for nationally outstanding water bodies
  • Methods to identify & protect natural character/ biodiversity

What next?

  • Leadership Group by 1 July 2006
  • Progress report by October 2006
  • Deliver tools by March 2007

Last updated: 6 January 2009