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April 2017This report presents a case study of cultural assessments for fresh water in the Waitaki catchment in Canterbury. Read more -
August 2017This review provides a stocktake of the progress made by each regional council towards implementing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) in their plans. 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 -
December 2020This factsheet is part of a series and provides information on the amended regulations for measuring and reporting water takes. 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 -
August 2020This evaluation report has been prepared under Section 32 (s32) of the Resource Management Act 1991. Read more -
May 2019This report updates previously published statistics on water consented to be taken from surface and groundwater sources for consumptive uses (such as irrigation or drinking water). Read more -
November 2013This report summarises the work of the freshwater National Objectives Framework Reference Group, including identifying some potential bottom lines, and recommendations for further work. The group included representatives from iwi, regional councils and key stakeholder groups. Read more -
October 2010Information on the Resource Management (Measurement and Reporting of Water Takes) Regulations 2010 including information on the benefits of measuring your water take, who the regulations apply to, measuring and reporting requirements, and how the regulations work. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling nitrate-nitrogen leaching from livestock in New Zealand, from 1990 to 2017. Read more -
May 2020This report by the Freshwater Independent Advisory Panel makes a series of recommendations about the proposals outlined in the Action plan for healthy waterways consultation document. Read more -
August 2012This report identifies and recommends national freshwater monitoring protocols for core river water quality, river bio-monitoring and lake monitoring variables. Regional council protocols and quality assurance methods are described. Read more -
September 2005This report summarises the evaluation of the provisions of the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Regional Plan undertaken by the Waitaki Catchment Water Allocation Board. All the objectives, policies and rules of the Plan have been examined. 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 -
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 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 -
August 2020This report describes a prototype for a New Zealand River Ecosystem Health Scorecard, conceived as a simple, easily interpretable and holistic communication tool for the state of the biophysical condition of rivers and streams in New Zealand. Read more -
November 2002This technical report outlines the outcomes and findings of the Freshwater Microbiological Research Programme. 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 -
March 2007This report considers alternatives to a National Environmental Standard for Sources of Human Drinking-water to determine if the proposed standard is the most appropriate way to reduce the risk of contaminating drinking-water sources. 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 2020This report builds on the report released by the Freshwater Science and Technical Advisory Group in June 2019. Read more -
December 2004This report provides information about the types and location of recreation and tourism activity that is supported by or associated with water bodies within the Waitaki Catchment. Read more -
December 2004This GIS report provides information about the types and location of recreation and tourism activity that is supported by or associated with water bodies within the Waitaki Catchment. Read more -
July 2013This report details the approach used to compile regional council and NIWA water quality data sets, calculate state and trends, and develop predictive models of water quality parameters. The modelling is used to predict water quality in unmonitored reaches. 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 2010This is the report and recommendations of the Board of Inquiry into the proposed National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2011 came into effect on 1 July 2011. 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 -
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 -
December 2017This report estimates the net amount of surface water available in New Zealand and in each region between 1995 and 2014. 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 -
November 2007This is the report and recommendation of the special tribunal appointed under section 202 of the Resource Management Act to consider Fish and Game's application for a water conservation order on the Oreti River. 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 -
November 2007This is the summary of the report of the special tribunal appointed under section 202 of the Resource Management Act to consider Fish and Game's application for a water conservation order on the Oreti River. Read more -
July 2020This report recommends on how Ngā Wai Manga – the Urban Water Principles can be implemented (phase II). 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 -
May 2019This report recommends river habitat modification indicators that can be used for national environmental reporting under the Environmental Reporting Act. Read more -
May 2019This report recommends river biodiversity and ecosystem process impact indicators that can be used for national environmental reporting under the Environmental Reporting Act. 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 -
September 2009As part of its National Environmental Reporting Programme, the Ministry for the Environment reports on periphyton (algae) in rivers. Read more -
September 2009As part of its National Environmental Reporting Programme, the Ministry for the Environment regularly reports on water quality in our rivers. Read more -
September 2009As part of its National Environmental Reporting Programme, the Ministry for the Environment reports on the health of fish communities in our rivers. This is the first time this data has been analysed and reported at a national level. Read more -
September 2019This report builds upon the findings of the Sediment attributes and urban development (report 1) literature review - see link in Related publications below. Read more -
November 2010This report presents a summary of the regional council consent data for water takes between 2009–10. The information in the report has been used to update the freshwater demand environmental indicator. Read more -
May 2017This report outlines recommendations for a guideline for sedimentation in estuaries. Read more -
November 2010This report provides a national picture of current status (2005–2009) and trends in water quality of New Zealand lakes. It updates the 2006 report ‘A snapshot of lake water quality in New Zealand’. Read more -
April 2007The report recommends that government should take steps to unbundle water permit components. Read more -
November 2013This existing report was used to inform the development of the nitrate toxicity attribute. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling New Zealand’s river water quality. Read more -
April 2019This report summarises analysis methods and outcomes for modelling New Zealand’s lake water quality. Read more