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December 2018This guide provides practical considerations, principles and methods to help regional council staff identify, assess, communicate and manage uncertainty in freshwater management. It may also be useful for iwi and hapū or community participants in regional freshwater planning processes to better understand these issues. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned Perrin Ag Consultants Ltd and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research to develop mitigation bundles for use in evaluating the cost of improving water quality in the Kaituna-Pongakawa-Waitahanui and Rangitāiki Water Management Areas. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned Perrin Ag Consultants Ltd and Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research to assess the farm/orchard-gate economic impact of applying a range of mitigation practices to reduce losses of nitrogen, phosphorus, E. coli and sediment. Read more -
December 2018This report summarises the findings of the Ministry’s review of the National Environmental Standard for Source of Human Drinking Water. Read more -
December 2018Ministry for the Environment, in partnership with Bay of Plenty Regional Council, commissioned a literature review to get an accessible summary of relevant research carried out in New Zealand on methods to manage sediment and their economic assessment. Read more -
November 2018This report assesses how well we are developing and maintaining the regulatory regimes we are responsible for, including the state of each piece of legislation, any plans for amendments, and our view of important emerging issues. Read more -
October 2018This document captures areas of shared interest in water quality and ecosystem health improvements and defines how the Crown and Māori will work together to make improvements to New Zealand’s freshwater. Read more -
October 2018View the high-level detail on each of the work streams in the Essential Freshwater work programme and the indicative timeframes. Read more -
October 2018Our annual report 2017/18 provides information on how we’ve performed during 2017/18. Read more -
October 2018This report documents the initial work of the Urban Water Working Group – an independent collaborative body comprising urban water practitioners and technical experts convened by the Ministry for the Environment. Read more -
October 2018This document describes a framework for assessing the biophysical ecosystem health of fresh water in Aotearoa New Zealand. Read more -
October 2018This document sets out the Government’s plan to restore and protect freshwater in New Zealand. Read more -
September 2018This report has two sections: Section 1, facilitated by Te Ātiawa Manawhenua Ki Te Tau Ihu Trust, describes the history and cultural values associated with the Waitohi and Waikawa streams. Section 2, an interim report by the Marlborough District Council, addresses Water Quality in the Waitohi and Waikawa catchments. This work will be used to inform future work that both parties can undertake in these catchments. Read more -
September 2018The Ministry for the Environment commissioned this research to identify perceived barriers to the adoption of any of the three mechanisms proposed in the draft plan change for the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamu catchments (known as ‘TANK’). Read more -
September 2018This report offers preliminary guidance to water management groups(WMGs), regional councils and other interested parties on how WMGs can be structured and what regional council plans should contain to improve the likelihood that groups will achieve the freshwater outcomes desired by their communities. Read more -
August 2018These guidelines provide water managers with tools and guidance to assess, manage and monitor the water quality. They complement the existing National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (Freshwater NPS) which is the main direction to local government about how to manage fresh water in New Zealand. Read more -
August 2018This users’ guide is to help councils and the telecommunications industry understand and implement the National Environmental Standards for Telecommunication Facilities. Read more -
August 2018This technical guidance will help councils with the process set out in the Periphyton Attribute Note in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (as amended 2017). Read more -
August 2018Trend analyses performed on many sites are regularly aggregated by water quality variable and summarised in tabular, graphical or map format as part of environmental reporting. Read more -
July 2018 -
July 2018These guidelines will help councils with their compliance, monitoring and enforcement responsibilities under the Resource Management Act. Read more -
June 2018The Ministry for the Environment commissioned Castalia to conduct an economic evaluation of the costs and benefits associated with the introduction of the first set of draft national planning standards. Read more -
June 2018Part 1 provides an overarching introduction to the purpose of a section 32 evaluation report and discusses the legislative requirements that underpin it. Read more -
June 2018Part 2A of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the plan and policy statement structure and format standards. Read more -
June 2018Part 2B of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the spatial planning tools and zone framework standards. Read more -
June 2018Part 2C of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the definitions standard. Read more -
June 2018Part 2D of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the noise and vibrations metrics standard. Read more -
June 2018Part 2E of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the electronic functionality and accessibility and mapping standards. Read more -
June 2018Part 2F of the National Planning Standards Section 32 evaluation report provides a detailed evaluation of the Tangata whenua provisions standard. Read more -
June 2018Part 3 of this report discusses the proposed implementation approach of the first set of National Planning Standards. Read more -
June 2018The consultation document gives an overview of the draft first set of National Planning Standards (planning standards), what they aim to achieve, and implementation considerations. This consultation document is a companion to the draft first set of planning standards. Read more -
June 2018The draft planning standards provide national consistency for the structure, form, definitions and electronic accessibility of Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) plans and policy statements to make them more efficient and easier to prepare and use. Read more -
May 2018This report outlines the establishment of reference conditions and trigger values. Reference conditions are defined as the chemical, physical or biological conditions that can be expected in streams and rivers with minimal or no anthropogenic influence. Read more -
May 2018This guidance is to help local authorities submit the National Monitoring System information that is required for the period 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. The information is due by 31 July 2019. Read more -
May 2018Our Science Strategy Rautaki Pūtaiao sets out how we want to work with and use science at the Ministry. Read more -
May 2018Phormidium is a potentially toxic, mat-forming benthic cyanobacterium found in an increasing number of New Zealand rivers. This report outlines a study which assessed Phormidium toxin levels in the Cardrona (Otago), Mataura (Southland) and Hutt (Wellington) Rivers in 2017. Read more -
May 2018The Managing Upstream project aims to help inform management decisions when establishing freshwater objectives under the Freshwater NPS and increase knowledge on the state of different estuary types in New Zealand. Read more -
May 2018The Managing Upstream project aims to help inform management decisions when establishing freshwater objectives under the Freshwater NPS and increase knowledge on the state of different estuary types in New Zealand. Read more -
May 2018Phormidium is a potentially toxic, mat-forming benthic cyanobacterium found in an increasing number of New Zealand rivers. This report outlines a study which investigated drivers of Phormidium blooms in New Zealand rivers to predict risk of blooms. Read more -
May 2018This report provides an environmental classification system for a potential deposited sediment indicator in the National Objectives Framework. The system classifies streams according to their modelled reference state. This report is an interim deliverable for an ongoing research programme that builds on and refines its findings and will conclude in June 2018. Read more -
May 2018This research assesses the applicability of environmental classification systems for a potential suspended sediment indicator in the National Objectives Framework. It evaluated the relationship between modelled suspended sediment indicator values and observed values, land cover, and River Environment Classification typologies. This report is an interim deliverable for an ongoing research programme that builds on and refines its findings and will conclude in June 2018. Read more -
May 2018This report proposes updated guideline values for copper and zinc in marine and freshwaters. Read more -
April 2018Mana Whakahono ā Rohe is a new tool designed to assist tangata whenua and local authorities discuss, agree and record how they will work together under the Resource Management Act. This guidance explains how the legislation can be implemented and provides ideas about what could be included in a Mana Whakahono ā Rohe arrangement. Read more -
April 2018This report provides an analysis of New Zealand’s wetland loss for the period summer 2001/2 through to summer 2015/2016. Read more -
April 2018The Ministry for the Environment, Department of Conservation, and the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge co-funded research to look at contemporary losses of wetland extent in New Zealand. This report provides recommendations and a suggested path forward to improve our ability to monitor and report on national wetland extent. Read more -
March 2018This guide provides information about the attributes in Appendix 2 of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (as amended 2017). Read more -
March 2018This non-statutory application form is to help councils that wish to request a streamlined planning process under section 80C of the RMA. It includes the information requirements that are set out in clause 74 of Schedule 1. Read more -
March 2018This guide provides information about setting limits under the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014 (as amended 2017). Read more -
March 2018This guide helps councils to make a request to the Minister for a streamlined planning process. It explains the streamlined planning process, including altered decision and appeal processes. Read more -
March 2018This working paper produced by NIWA for the Ministry for the Environment in 2016 proposes a methodology for calculating over-allocation of fresh water. Read more