Regional councils are looking to engage with local communities as they begin the process of updating their policy statements and plans to give effect to national regulations that were passed in 2020. Find out where your nearest open consultation will take place.
Regional councils are in the process of updating their policy statements and plans to give effect to national regulations that were passed in 2020 (NPS-FM 2020). All councils are required to have notified new or updated policy statements and plans by the end of 2024. As part of the plan development process, councils are seeking ongoing engagement with local communities about their aspirations for freshwater management and the best methods to achieve these.
All councils must follow the same process to update their plans, which involves first identifying the long-term vision for freshwater in the catchment (or Freshwater Management Unit), identifying the outcomes that will give effect to the vision and then working out what rules or requirements may be needed on the ground to achieve the outcomes.
Ultimately, the long-term visions and values for a catchment will inform how stringent the limits and rules will be for different activities or contaminants in regional plans. Growers can play an important part in shaping the vision and values for your local catchment, and in influencing the way in which the limits are achieved. We strongly encourage you to engage with your regional council on this plan-making process.
For support or guidance in doing this, you can contact FAR’s Environmental Policy Advisor Hannah Ritchie at Hannah.Ritchie@far.org.nz or 027 262 4617.
Current open consultations:
Canterbury: Environment Canterbury is engaging on a number of key focus areas including water, land and climate change. They are hosting a series of webinars and drop-in sessions around the region. More information is available here: Our future, Canterbury | Have Your Say (ecan.govt.nz)
Waikato: Waikato Regional Council is hosting drop-in sessions across the region during July to get your feedback on long-term visions, outcomes and target states: Freshwater policy review - Community and stakeholder involvement | Waikato Regional Council
Bay of Plenty: The regional council is hosting a series of drop-in events across the region from July to September for you to give feedback. There is also the opportunity to give feedback online: Updating regional freshwater rules (boprc.govt.nz)
Horizons: The regional council is seeking feedback on water allocation through an online survey: Water allocation | Oranga Wai (horizons.govt.nz)