Background - The Sustainable Water Programme of Action
The Government established the Sustainable Water Programme of Action in 2003 to ensure that the country's freshwater resources are managed to best support New Zealand's future sustainable development. The programme is part of the Government's wider Sustainable Development Programme of Action. Jointly led by the Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Sustainable Water Programme of Action has involved many government departments. It has also involved representatives of regional councils and other local authorities, a Māori Reference Group [Members of the Maori Reference Group are: Heitia Hiha, Waaka Vercoe, Jane West, Paul Morgan and Gail Tipa.] and a Stakeholder Reference Group [Interests represented in the Stakeholder Reference Group include recreation, agriculture, horticulture, environmental groups, irrigation, hydro-electricity generation, industry, business, forestry and hydrological and limnological societies.] .
The Sustainable Water Programme of Action discussion document was released in December 2004. This document includes information about the different ways in which New Zealanders value and use freshwater, New Zealand's current water management system, and the pressures and challenges facing our water management system. A preferred set of directions (in the form of issues and actions) for improving our system for managing freshwater were identified in the discussion document.
The discussion document provided an opportunity for comment on the current water management system, issues identified and proposed actions for improvement. The overall objective of the consultation process is to obtain feedback on directions for a national framework for management of freshwater in New Zealand.
The Sustainable Water Programme of Action involves creating partnerships between central government, local government, Māori, communities and key stakeholders.
The consultation process
The consultation process began with distribution of the discussion document to people on the Sustainable Water Programme of Action database in December 2004. The database included Māori groups that the Ministry for the Environment regularly has contact with. This was supplemented by approaching regional council iwi liaison units, Te Puni Kōkiri, and the Ministry of Fisheries Pou Hononga for further contact details of Māori (groups) with an interest in freshwater management.
Information about times and venues for meetings was provided via a postcard mailed out to people on the Sustainable Water Programme of Action database in January prior to consultation hui. Information about the Sustainable Water Programme of Action, the discussion document, and details of times and venues for hui were made available on Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Ministry for the Environment websites. Hui were advertised locally via local newspapers and/or local radio stations including iwi radio.
Table 1 below provides details of where and when hui were held. Details of meetings with the public and local government are provided in Appendix 1.
Table 1: Sustainable Water Programme of Action consultation hui
|
Date |
Location |
Venue |
|---|---|---|
|
31 January 2005 |
Waitara |
Owae Marae |
|
1 February 2005 |
Wanganui |
Putiki Marae |
|
2 February 2005 |
Palmerston North |
Te Manawa Gallery |
|
3 February 2005 |
Greytown |
Papawai Marae |
|
7 February 2005 |
Nelson |
Whakatu Marae |
|
8 February 2005 |
Christchurch |
Te Waipounamu House (Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu) |
|
10 February 2005 |
Invercargill |
Murihiku Marae |
|
11 February 2005 |
Dunedin |
Karitane Marae |
|
14 February 2005 |
Kaitaia |
Far North Community Centre |
|
15 February 2005 |
Whangarei |
Whangarei Terenga Paraoa Marae |
|
16 February 2005 |
Auckland |
North Harbour Stadium |
|
17 February 2005 |
Hamilton |
Waikato Rugby Stadium |
|
21 February 2005 |
Whakatāne |
Maungarongo/Ohope Marae |
|
22 February 2005 |
Gisborne |
Gisborne Hotel |
|
23 February 2005 |
Napier/ Hastings |
Heretaunga Taiwhenua Administration Centre |
|
28 February 2005 |
Wellington |
Waiwhetu Marae |
|
4 March 2005 |
Taupō |
Wairakei Resort |
Following an invitation extended at the Hamilton hui, officials met again with Te Mana Taiao o Raukawa hui in Tokoroa on 8 March 2005, to repeat the Sustainable Water Programme of Action presentation given at the Hamilton hui.
Hui programme and content
To ensure good coverage of the country and to be as accessible to Māori as possible, about 7900 Sustainable Water Programme of Action discussion documents were distributed during the consultation process. All hui were open to both tangata whenua and taurahere Māori, and anyone else who wished to attend. A total of approximately 250 people attended hui. This included representation of many iwi/hapū groups.
Submissions closed on 18 March 2005, seven weeks after the first hui and two weeks after the final hui in Taupo. While the minutes of the hui have the same status as written submissions, participants were also encouraged to make written submissions. Information about next steps is provided below.
Additional information about the consultation process can be found in Appendix 3. Copies of the full minutes of all hui provided by IC Solutions can be found in Appendix 4.
Next steps
Minutes from the hui have been collated to produce this report. Similar reports from meetings with local government and the public have also been produced, as well as a report summarising all written submissions. An overall synthesis report summarising the key themes from consultation hui and meetings as well as key themes from the written submissions has also been produced. These reports, as well as the minutes of the hui, were distributed to the Minister for the Environment and other relevant Ministers, prior to public release.
The information will be used to help guide the Government's decisions about future approaches to freshwater management, including any changes required to the Government's preferred package of options to develop sustainable ways of managing fresh water.
