Appendix 1: Actions and Timeframes to April 2007

Improve the quality and efficient use of freshwater by building and enhancing partnerships with local government, industry, Māori, science agencies and providers, and rural and urban communities

Establish a leadership group comprising local government representatives and key stakeholders to assist in progressing the package.

Strengthen existing partnerships with local government, Māori, industry, voluntary and community stewardship organisations, interest groups and science agencies.

Work with local government on a programme to raise awareness of freshwater issues within the wider community, and seeksupport for, the implementation of the proposed package.

Improve the management of the undesirable effects of land use on water quality through increased national direction and partnerships

In partnership with industry sectors, develop a set of agreed targets for land-use practices to address water quantity and quality.

Report (by the end of March 2007) on the potential value of and options for a national policy statement on nutrients, microbial contaminants and sediment on water bodies.

Identify catchments that are sensitive or ‘at-risk’ from diffuse discharges (by the end of March 2007).

Provide for increasing demands on water resources and encourage efficient water management through increased national direction, working with local government to identify options for supporting and enhancing local decision making, and developing best practice

Report (by the end of March 2007) on the scope and draft of a:

• national policy statement on managing increasing demands for water
• national environmental standard for methods and devices for measuring water take and use
• national environmental standard on methods for establishing environmental flows.

Report (by the end of February 2007) on options for supporting and enhancing local decision making on the following policy proposals:

• current practice and options for improving transfer of water consents
• enhancing the use of water user groups to manage water under cooperative management regimes
• applying minimum flows to water bodies
• options for regional councils to recover costs for water management.

Report on progress for establishing criteria for identifying nationally outstanding natural water bodies.

Report (by the end of March 2007) on the potential effectiveness of the following policy options:

• methods for managing over-allocated catchments including the possible effectiveness of alternatives to ‘first-in, first-served’ allocation mechanisms and other mechanisms for the effective reallocation of consents
• improved methods for identifying and protecting natural character and biodiversity values
• model resource consents and model consent conditions for water.