4 Better Freshwater Management: A Way Forward
The Water Programme of Action has identified possible ways to address the problems and pressures now facing the water management system. They cover a full spectrum of approaches - from regulatory and market-based approaches, to public education, to building the skills and knowledge of those involved in water management.
From these many possibilities, a specific package of actions has been put together for consultation. It is considered that this package delivers the greatest overall benefits compared with alternative packages. Some of the actions it contains build on proposals made as a result of the RMA review. Some of the actions would require amendments to the RMA.
Underpinning the proposed actions is the belief that local government should retain responsibility for water management and decision-making, with greater support and direction from central government.
While this package of actions is clearly indicated in the following discussion, a number of other possibilities are also presented. Public feedback is sought not only on the preferred actions but also on the alternatives - and others that may not be identified here.
In the following discussion, each preferred action is briefly described and the issues it addresses are identified. Then a range of other approaches is presented. Some are alternatives to the proposed action: others are complementary. Some have already been initiated, and could be further enhanced.
Action 1: Develop national policy statements
Central government could develop national policy statements that would:
- specify national priorities for freshwater
- stipulate requirements for regional plans - for example, to determine the amount of water that can be allocated, and set allocation limits
- require regional councils to set catchment-based targets for water quality.
Issues addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Alternative or complementary approaches
- Provide non-statutory guidelines - for example, clarify the respective mandates, roles and responsibilities of central government, regional councils and territorial authorities in managing the impacts of diffuse discharges from rural land on water quality.
- Model planning provisions could be developed to improve management of the impacts of land use on water quality (these could be added to the Quality Planning website, www.qualityplanning.org.nz).
Have your say on Action 1
What do you think of the proposal to develop national policy statements?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested?
Action 2: Develop national environmental standards
Central government could develop standards that would specify either methods or procedures for:
- setting environmental bottom lines (ie, minimum standards for acceptable water quality) and allocation limits
- addressing the management of diffuse discharges.
Issues addressed
Issue 3: Setting environmental bottom lines and allocation limits is costly and contentious
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Alternative or complementary approach
- Nationally consistent numeric standards could be set for water quality (for example, for recreation).
Have your say on Action 2
What do you think of the proposal to develop national environmental standards?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approach suggested?
Action 3: Address nationally important values
Address nationally important values by:
- identifying water bodies with nationally important values (for example, ecological, energy generation or recreational values) and making this information widely available [Preliminary work has developed possible ways of identifying water bodies with nationally important values, see Further Reading for background reports on Potential Water Bodies of National Importance.]
- prioritising for action those water bodies with nationally important values that are under threat.
These steps may require new tools to be developed and changes to the RMA - for example, an examination of the current water conservation order provisions.
Issues addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Issue 2: Nationally important values need to be better addressed
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Alternative or complementary approaches
- A schedule could be attached to the RMA, specifying individual water bodies and their nationally important values.
- National monitoring and reporting of water bodies with nationally important values could be required. Aspects of tourism, historic heritage, industrial uses, population growth, recreational use, energy generation and land use practices could be measured as part of this monitoring programme.
- National environmental standards could be developed setting particular environmental standards and management processes for water bodies that are nationally important.
Have your say on Action 3
What do you think of the proposal to better address nationally important values?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested?
Action 4: Increase central government participation in regional planning
Possible ways for central government to participate include:
- providing information and guidance
- lodging submissions, either on a departmental basis or using the whole of government approach proposed in the RMA review.
Issue addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Alternative or complementary approach
- Central government could be responsible for approving regional plans (as it currently does with regional coastal plans).
Have your say on Action 4
What do you think of the proposal to increase central government participation in regional planning?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issue identified?
Any comments on the other possible approach suggested?
Action 5: Increase central government's support for local government
Central government could help build councils' capacity, and disseminate good practice in the following areas:
- strategic planning for water
- setting environmental bottom lines and allocation limits
- engaging effectively with Māori, as proposed in the RMA review
- how to progressively constrain (clawback) existing allocations and transfer of water permits
- efficient water use.
Issues addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Issue 3: Setting environmental bottom lines and allocation limits is costly and contentious
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 6: Maori participation in water management could be improved
Alternative or complementary approaches
- Central government could support a mobile team of specialist planning advisors, to support regional councils.
- Central government could subsidise poorly resourced councils directly.
- Central government could help disseminate best practice for assessing water resources and monitoring impacts.
Have your say on Action 5
What do you think of the proposal to increase central government's support for local government?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested?
Action 6: Develop special mechanisms for regional councils
One of the proposals arising from the RMA review is to confirm explicitly that the allocation of natural resources is the role of regional councils.
Regional councils may need additional tools to enable them to deal more effectively with situations where water is over-allocated or quality is declining. One option is to give councils powers to progressively constrain (clawback) existing consents to take water or to discharge contaminants. This is likely to involve changes to the RMA.
Issues addressed
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 5: Tension between investment certainty and planning flexibility
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Alternative or complementary approaches
- Water permits could be modified. For example:
- consents could be granted for instream uses above environmental allocation limits (for example, for a commercial rafting operation)
- the maximum duration of consents could be lengthened or shortened
- permit conditions could be changed so they are linked to a percentage of flow
- the ability for consent conditions to be reviewed could be restricted.
- Water use measuring systems could be made compulsory.
- Water monitoring could be charged for on a volumetric basis.
- A water efficiency diagnostic service could be made available to councils.
- Councils could be required to set seasonal volumes when granting resource consents.
- Central government and councils' work with industry groups to develop efficiency standards or codes of practice could be enhanced.
- Financial assistance could be made available for water users to shift to more efficient technology.
- Permit holders could be required to pay a resource rental (a pre-determined sum per unit of water) to the Crown or to councils to encourage efficient use of water, or to provide for re-investment in water management.
- Permit holders could be required to return annually a given fraction of their access to water, so that it can be allocated by the community.
Have your say on Action 6
What do you think of the proposal to develop special mechanisms for regional councils?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested?
Action 7: Enhance the transfer of allocated water between users
In a time of greater demand for water and variable supply, the transfer of water between users (existing and new) becomes more desirable. Approaches that could be introduced to make it easier to transfer water include:
- the development of a pilot registry system to record water transfers, which councils could choose to use
- more central government facilitation and encouragement for local councils to consider water transfers.
The following related initiatives have already been proposed under the RMA review:
- a mechanism for taking into account existing investment when considering applications to renew consents
- enabling regional plans to provide for temporary transfer of consents
- criteria for determining when an application to renew a consent should be considered before a competing application.
Issues addressed
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 5: Tension between investment certainty and planning flexibility
Alternative or complementary approach
As for Action 6.
Have your say on Action 7
What do you think of the proposal to enhance the transfer of water between users?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested (under Action 6)?
Action 8: Develop market mechanisms to manage diffuse discharges
Market mechanisms could be developed to encourage land users to find the lowest cost ways of reducing discharges of particular contaminants or offsetting the effects of discharges on water quality.
Approaches that could be developed include:
- mechanisms to trade permits to discharge particular contaminants within a catchment, with a cap on total discharges. The RMA review provides a framework for this by introducing the ability to transfer discharge permits between users
- the development of a pilot registry system to record permit transfers, which councils could choose to use
- establishing catchment based pilot projects to evaluate use of market mechanisms.
Issue addressed
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Have your say on Action 8
What do you think of the proposal to develop market mechanisms to manage diffuse discharges?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issue identified?
Action 9: Set requirements for regional freshwater plans to address key issues and challenges
Central government could require regional councils to prepare regional plans in areas where water resources are under pressure. The implementation of such plans could also be linked to achieving community outcomes in the long term council community plans that councils have to prepare under the Local Government Act. Key issues may include:
- water allocation and quality
- addressing the national interest in water
- exploring the development of infrastructure.
In combination with Action 11, this would allow councils to take a more strategic approach to water allocation and quality management. Plans could consider approaches to address local and regional issues - including partnership arrangements with central government, local government, industry, iwi and landowners.
This action builds on proposals in the RMA review.
Issues addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Issue 8: Development of water infrastructure is not keeping pace with demand
Alternative or complementary approaches
- Central government could be responsible for approving regional plans (as it currently does with regional coastal plans).
- Model planning provisions could be developed to improve management of the impacts of land use on water quality (these could be added to the Quality Planning website www.qualityplanning.org.nz).
Have your say on Action 9
What do you think of the proposal to set requirements for regional freshwater plans?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approaches suggested?
Action 10: Enhance Maori participation
Enhance Maori participation by:
- clarifying the involvement of Maori in planning at both national and regional levels, as proposed in the RMA review
- providing central government guidance for better engagement between Maori and local government, consistent with the RMA review.
Issues addressed
Issue 1: National and regional strategic planning for water management could be improved
Issue 6: Maori participation in water management could be improved
Have your say on Action 10
What do you think of the proposal to enhance Māori participation?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Action 11: Enable regional councils to allocate water to priority uses
More strategic allocation of water could be achieved by allowing councils to:
- compare applications for resource consents against each other and against community priorities
- identify local priority uses for water, and develop criteria to guide allocation decisions within the comparative framework. For example, minimum efficiency levels for abstracting water from catchments could be specified
- use 'market tools' (such as auctions or tenders) as a means of strategically allocating water, as part of a wider comparative assessment of resource applications.
Issues addressed
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 5: Tension between investment certainty and planning flexibility
Alternative or complementary approach
- Permit holders could be required to annually return a given fraction of their access to water, so that it can be allocated by the community.
Have your say on Action 11
What do you think of the proposal to allow councils to allocate water to priority uses?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approach suggested?
Action 12: Raise awareness of freshwater problems and pressures, and promote solutions
Central government, in collaboration with key stakeholders, could develop communication and education programmes which raise public awareness of the issues and promote local action. These may lead to the formation of voluntary agreements that encourage water users to change their behaviour and lead to better water quality outcomes.
Issues addressed
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Alternative or complementary approach
- Central government could provide resources enabling co-ordinated education programmes to be developed by Landcare Trust, Maori, regional councils and others.
Have your say on Action 12
What do you think of the proposal to develop water communication and education programmes?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Any comments on the other possible approach suggested?
Action 13: Collaboration between central and local government, scientists and key stakeholders, on pilot projects to demonstrate and test new water management initiatives
Projects could involve research and technology aimed at developing innovative ways to assess and mitigate the impacts of land use on water quality, and to evaluate the effectiveness of management techniques. Particular encouragement could be given to multi-disciplinary scientific programmes that take an integrated approach to water management issues, from on-farm to catchment level.
Similar collaborative pilot projects are currently underway on Lake Taupo, Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and in relation to the Waitaki Catchment.
Issues addressed
Issue 4: Water is over-allocated in some catchments, is not consistently allocated to its highest value use over time, and can be wasted
Issue 6: Māori participation in water management could be improved
Issue 7: A lack of effective action in the management of diffuse discharges of contaminants on water quality, in some catchments
Have your say on Action 13
What do you think of the proposal for central/local government and stakeholders to collaborate on pilot projects?
How well do you think the proposed action addresses the issues identified?
Have your say on the overall package
Overall, what do you think of the package of 13 preferred actions?
Which ones do you consider are most important/desirable to carry out, and why?
Which ones do you consider are least important/desirable, and why?
Which of the other possible alternative or complementary approaches (those that are not part of the preferred package) would you like to be implemented and why? You may wish to propose a combination of proposed and possible actions that could be implemented.
Do you have any further suggestions?
