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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 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 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 -
March 2018This report has regional summaries of the work planned or underway to improve water quality in rivers and lakes in terms of human health. Read more -
February 2018An independent report has shown that water quality for sediment and E. coli have improved over the past 7-10 years in the Horizons Region. There are encouraging signs that local scale interventions are collectively contributing to regional scale water quality improvements. The case study, conducted by Land Water People Ltd and reviewed by NIWA and StatsNZ, was commissioned jointly by the Ministry for the Environment and Horizons Regional Council as a way to understand improving water quality trends in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region. Read more -
December 2017This report analyses the state of freshwater quality for the past 25 years based on a national scale model. Read more -
December 2017This report summarises the state and trends of groundwater quality between 2005 and 2014 Read more -
December 2017This report estimates the net amount of surface water available in New Zealand and in each region between 1995 and 2014. Read more -
December 2017This research identifies international and domestic trends and best practice for urban growth management strategies and recommends what guidance could be developed for councils to assist them to meet policies PC12, PC13 and PC14 of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity. Read more -
November 2017This material is incorporated by reference in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. Read more -
October 2017This report compares nutrient measurements in Wellington rivers by national recommended protocols versus Greater Wellington Regional Council’s historical protocols. Read more -
August 2017This is an evaluation under s32AA of the Resource Management Act 1991, and further evaluates any changes to amendments proposed in the Clean Water discussion document since the initial s32 evaluation (published February 2017). Read more -
July 2017This project was aimed at developing Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s (BOPRC) staff capability to apply tools and frameworks to support freshwater policy development. It introduced tools, frameworks, processes and disciplines that will strengthen the policy process. Read more -
July 2017Since 2015, Gisborne District Council (GDC) and Beef and Lamb New Zealand have been engaging with Rere farmers to try and raise water quality together to a swimmable standard. Farmer interest and participation in the project has been high and this report tells the story of the Rere Project to date, including lessons, next steps and strategic implications. Read more -
June 2017The Chief Economist Unit (CEU) at the Auckland Council commissioned this study on behalf of the Ministry for Environment to look at the feasibility of developing a Computational General Equilibrium (CGE) model to analyse the economic impacts of implementing the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management. Read more -
June 2017GDC approached AgResearch to develop a model of the cost-effectiveness of appropriate mitigation options that could be implemented on farm to address the issue of faecal contamination (as indicated by the presence of E. coli) of the river. Read more -
June 2017Otago Regional Council (ORC) requested a programme of experimentation that would deliver quantitative measurements of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and fluxes in leachate reported for pasture, forage crop and native bush sites in the West Matukituki Valley, located west of Lake Wanaka. Read more -
June 2017The regional/unitary councils for Waikato, Auckland, and Northland require a model to predict the annual delivery and sources of sediment across their regions for the purposes of environmental reporting and to inform strategy, policy, and sediment management operations. This study addresses this requirement in two tasks. Read more -
June 2017In 2014 Gisborne District Council received funding from the Ministry for the Environment to undertake a community-based pilot project the Lower Waipaoa and Te Arai catchment areas to identify, protect and enhance inanga spawning sites. Read more -
May 2017This report provides information on the categories used in the swimming maps, proposed targets, and proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management released as part of the Government’s Clean Water package in February 2017. Read more -
May 2017This report talks about a national-level study that used a catchment model to explore where there may be capacity or ‘headroom’ for land-use intensification, taking into account constraints on contaminant loss from land due to freshwater bottom lines, and requirements for water quality to be maintained or improved. Read more -
May 2017This report outlines recommendations for a guideline for sedimentation in estuaries. Read more -
April 2017This report presents a case study of cultural assessments for fresh water in the Waitaki catchment in Canterbury. Read more -
April 2017This report provides an overview of the He Pātaka Wai Ora project, which integrated scientific and matauranga māori monitoring methods to establish the state of freshwater species’ biodiversity and water quality in the Waikouaiti catchment in North Otago. Read more -
April 2017This report presents the methods and statistical results of the He Pātaka Wai Ora Project. Read more -
April 2017This report outlines the development of a pressure-state-impact model to predict the effect of water abstractions on river flows, using Canterbury as a case study. Read more -
April 2017This report presents information on potential environmental indicators of water allocation: rates of flow take and volumes of flow take; and their cumulative impacts on river flows. Read more -
April 2017This report aimed to develop national level statistics on water allocation to quantify the pressures on river flows, and in turn freshwater ecosystems. Read more -
April 2017This report presents trends in the abundance of freshwater species between 1977 and 2015 based on standardised data from the New Zealand Freshwater Fish Database. Read more -
April 2017This report looks at the state and trends of water quality in urban streams, with a focus on Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Read more -
April 2017This report models the state of water quality along New Zealand’s national river network, using data measured at freshwater monitoring sites between 2009 and 2013. Read more -
April 2017This report outlines the development of a database to house scientific and cultural information on the health of Te Arawa lakes (Bay of Plenty). Read more -
February 2017This report provides an evaluation under section 32 of the Resource Management Act 1991 of the proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014. Read more -
February 2017This report has been produced to test potential consequences of setting freshwater objectives for hydro scheme operations. Modelling was undertaken of a selection of various scenarios involving an increase in minimum flows in selected rivers to assess the impact of draft proposals to amend the NPS Freshwater Management on the New Zealand electricity system. Read more -
February 2017This report addresses the question, “By how much would mitigation measures decrease the proportion of time that river reaches exceed the primary contact (swimming) minimum acceptable state E. coli concentration of 540 per 100 ml?” Read more -
February 2017This report provides advice on statistical issues relevant to the 2014 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, having particular regard to its National Objectives Framework (NOF). Read more -
February 2017Sediment is an important contaminant in New Zealand freshwaters. This report presents the development of an analytical framework to empirically relate various key instream measures of sediment to catchment sediment loads. Read more -
February 2017This report is a strategic assessment of New Zealand’s freshwaters for recreational use from a human health perspective. It outlines the methods used to produce spatial predictions of E. coli and cynobacterial biovolume at unmonitored locations. Read more -
February 2017This report reviews the original report, 'Strategic assessment of New Zealand’s freshwaters for recreational use: a human health perspective'. Read more -
October 2016A comprehensive draft version of this report informed evidence and monitoring policies in the National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity 2016 (NPS-UDC) and the implementation programme. It has assisted in determining which indicators would best provide useful information, and what monitoring would be practical in terms of data availability, frequency, capabilities and costs. Read more -
September 2016As part of the initial scoping for a NPS on natural hazards, Tonkin and Taylor carried out some research on using a risk based approach to natural hazard management under the RMA, and made some recommendations for what could be included in a NPS. This is their final report. Read more -
July 2016This report provides information about the way nine ‘high growth’ councils in New Zealand estimate demand for housing and business land, and how they measure the development capacity available to meet that demand. Read more -
June 2016This report provides advice on possible attributes and thresholds relevant to the ecosystem health of intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons and brackish lakes, and their potential for consideration as part of the National Objectives Framework in the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. Read more -
June 2016This report presents the findings of a review of national and international literature on benthic cyanobacteria and their associated toxins. Read more -
June 2016This report presents findings of a literature review of the effects of fine sediment on ecosystem health and numerical thresholds for (sediment-related) environmental state variables. Read more -
June 2016This report presents the findings of a review of continuous dissolved oxygen data in New Zealand including an assessment of observed dissolved oxygen concentrations in relation to the National Objectives Framework (point source) band thresholds. Read more -
June 2016This report presents the findings of research into the sufficient supply of business land in urban areas experiencing the highest population growth in New Zealand. Where issues where identified the research looked at whether the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity would address those issues. Read more -
June 2016This paper looks at planning practices for providing development capacity for housing and business needs in the United Kingdom (UK) and two Australian states, Victoria and New South Wales. Read more