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January 2021This report describes a pilot study to validate methods and assess cost savings for the design of a large-scale replacement study of the 1998-2000 Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment. Read more -
December 2020This document provides a summary of the submissions in response to the Government's proposed amendments to the National Environmental Standards for Air Quality. Read more -
September 2020An evaluation report and compilation spreadsheet of available tools, databases and resources relating to the distribution of threatened freshwater species and their habitats in New Zealand. Read more -
August 2020This guidance document sets out recommended practice for the design of instream infrastructure to provide for fish passage and to set the foundation for the improvement of fish passage management in New Zealand. Read more -
August 2020The New Zealand Threat Classification System provides a tool for assigning a threat status to candidate taxa. Read more -
August 2020This report describes methods used to assess deposited sediment including the SAM2 method that is prescribed in Table 14 of Appendix 2B of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020. Read more -
August 2020This report describes the method used to calculate the average score per metric (ASPM) indicator score. Read more -
May 2020This document provides a summary of the submissions received on the discussion document and at consultation events. Read more -
May 2020This report provides a summary of the submissions made on the proposals outlined in the Action for healthy waterways discussion document. Consultation on these proposals ran from 5 September to 31 October 2019. Read more -
April 2020In 2018, the Ministry asked Deloitte to consider the extent of water bottling in Aotearoa New Zealand NZ and the economic value of water bottling for water bottlers and communities. This report presents their findings. Read more -
December 2019The Ministry commissioned this report to improve our understanding of how geospatial information can inform meaningful engagement with iwi/hapū. Read more -
November 2019This report by Honorary Professor Peter Skelton concerns the management and allocation of freshwater in the Otago region. It contains recommendations for the Minister for the Environment on improving freshwater management under the Resource Management Act 1991. Read more -
September 2019This is the report of the Science and Technical Advisory Group (STAG), an advisory group to the Essential Freshwater programme. This report highlights a strong focus by the Science and Technical Advisory Group on the health of the environment and the waterbody. Its content and recommendations provide additional metrics for the national freshwater management framework to strengthen the relationship between this national direction and ecosystem health and functioning. Read more -
September 2019The report by the Freshwater Leaders Group notes that to improve water quality, major changes are needed to the way that we as a country protect and manage our land and water. Read more -
September 2019This report by the Regional Sector Water Subgroup contributes the views and expeiences of regional councils to the Essential Freshwater programme. The group's advice focusses on likely impacts and practical implementation issues relating to proposed policies. Read more -
September 2019This document is an at a glance summary of the discussion document on national direction for freshwater. It provides an overview of proposals to stop the degradation of waterways and restore them to a healthy state. Read more -
September 2019This report by Kāhui Wai Māori sets out recommendations for our nation to journey together in implementing a managed transitoin to a new system of care and respect for water. Read more -
September 2019This document sets out proposals for consultation on measures to stop the degradation of waterways and restore them to a healthy state. Read more -
August 2019The Government is consulting on a proposal for a new National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD). The NPS-UD will provide clear direction to local government about how to enable opportunities for development in New Zealand’s urban areas. Read more -
August 2019This document provides an ‘at a glance’ summary of the Government’s consultation on a proposal for a new National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD). 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 -
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 -
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 -
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 report provides recommendations to the Minister for the Environment and Minister for Primary Industries on proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014. 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 -
February 2017This document sets out the Government's further work in the ongoing programme of water reform. 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 2016This document provides a summary of submissions on the public consultation to the Proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity. 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 document explains how the proposed National Policy Statement on Urban Development Capacity has been developed; the objectives, policies and key themes; and how to give your feedback on the proposal. Read more -
June 2016Report on submissions from the first phase of consultation (held from 3 December 2015 to 5 February 2016) on the case for a national policy statement on urban development. 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 document provides a summary of submissions received during the consultation on the Government’s Next Steps for Fresh Water discussion document. Read more -
February 2016This consultation document sets out the Government’s proposals to improve the management of fresh water in New Zealand. Read more -
September 2015This case study describes the collaborative processes used as part of the Healthy Rivers Wai Ora project in the Waikato catchment. Read more -
July 2014Proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management were publicly notified on 7 November 2013. This report summarises the recommendations and the Minister’s decision on the recommendations following consultation on the proposed amendments. Read more -
July 2014This report provides recommendations to the Minister for the Environment on proposed changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011. Read more