Latest news with #NationalPolicyStatementforFreshwaterManagement
The Spinoff
25-06-2025
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Greater Wellington must stay the course on its freshwater quality rulebook
Thanks to central government's new freshwater proposals, Greater Wellington Regional Council is voting on whether to proceed with a decade-in-the-making plan designed to improve the health of the region's streams, rivers and harbours. Today, the Greater Wellington Regional Council will vote on whether to proceed, pause or withdraw a new freshwater quality rulebook for the Wellington region. A rulebook that has been at least 10 years in the making, is informed by significant engagement with mana whenua and the community, and has cost residents literally millions of dollars to develop. Why, you may ask, is the council taking this vote at all? Well that would be thanks to recent proposals announced by the government to 'rebalance' our environmental regulation away from nice-to-haves like protecting our environment and back to the basics of protecting economic interests. Not to mention the odd threat from ministers that if councils don't, they'll make 'em. Some have even suggested we should just get rid of regional councils altogether. But before we come to the vote, it's worth recapping the process that led to Wellington's proposed new freshwater rulebook, starting back in the distant mists of time when a chap called John Key was our prime minister. Faced with increased scrutiny on the health of our rivers and lakes – remember phrases like 'dirty dairying' and 'swimmable rivers' regularly appearing in our media? – in 2011 the Key-led government created the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM). In essence, the NPS-FM provided a set of minimum freshwater standards that our regional councils, which are our chief environmental regulators, must implement within their local context. To implement the NPS-FM in its region, Greater Wellington chose to establish the whaitua programme in 2013. The programme saw the region divided into sub-regions – known as whaitua – and in each it established a whaitua committee, made up of representatives of mana whenua, affected councils and the community. The committees were tasked with considering the freshwater issues in their whaitua, current and predicted trends, impediments to progress, and to chart a way towards a more sustainable future. These processes were not once-over-lightlies. Each took several years and significant mana whenua, community and council resources. Committee members were made well aware of the challenges of our water system, and the mind-boggling costs to maintain and upgrade water infrastructure and improve the health of our streams and rivers. The committees produced their blueprints with these challenges and costs at the forefront of their thinking, and, befitting the scale of the challenges, made recommendations that in some instances stretched out decades. The poor state of our urban streams meant that in many instances their short- to medium-term recommendations amounted simply to arresting declining trends or improving quality to the minimum required by the NPS-FM. Plan Change 1, which amends the region's environmental rulebook known as the Natural Resources Plan, gives effect to recommendations of two mostly urban whaitua committees – those that cover the land that drains into the Porirua and Wellington harbours. In planning terms, Plan Change 1 has been publicly notified, consulted on, and is now deep into an expert hearings process. It is the fate of Plan Change 1 that councillors will decide today. Nothing the government has proposed or threatened requires the council to withdraw Plan Change 1, but should central government reform happen, the council may have to revisit some aspects of its rules. Par for the course in environmental planning and regulation. At this stage that is hypothetical anyway, and with an election now a little over a year away, the government may find it runs out of time to make any changes before we head back to the polls. RMA reform is, after all, a historically difficult beast to manage. Depending on how councillors vote today, Wellington could needlessly go back to a set of rules that have not halted declines in water quality across the region and will not miraculously be able to do so now. Not only that but it will be a huge kick in the guts to everyone – mana whenua, communities, councillors and staff – who have given so much of their time to help restore the health of Wellington's rivers, streams and harbours. I hope they vote wisely.
Otago Daily Times
08-06-2025
- Health
- Otago Daily Times
Little dairy intensification since changes: papers
If dairy effluent discharge permits are used as a proxy for dairy farms in Canterbury authorised prior to January 1 this year, the numbers of new conversions and dairy farm expansions are less than 1%. In the same week the government released consultation papers on changes to freshwater regulations, statistics show there has been little dairy intensification throughout Glenavy and South Canterbury over the five months since the previous government's regulations ended. The National Environmental Standards for Freshwater temporary agricultural intensification regulations controlling the conversion of land to dairy farmland expired on January 1 this year. Since then, the government introduced restrictions on plan changes that would have given effect to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020, meaning consent was no longer needed for a change in land use to dairying. Responding to questions from the Oamaru Mail, Environment Canterbury (ECan) regulatory implementation general manager Paul Hulse said while the council no longer processed applications for "dairy conversions", since January 1, four consents had been granted to discharge dairy effluent on farms that were not previously operating as dairy farms. "If dairy effluent discharge permits are used as a proxy for dairy farms in Canterbury authorised prior to January 1, 2025, the numbers of new conversions and dairy farm expansions are less than 1%," he said. However, the council still recognised a problem in farming contributing to declining water health in the area. "As a regulator, our role is to manage the region's natural resources sustainably. "We need to follow the consenting process set by the RMA and the direction of our own plans established through public consultation. "Our science work gives us a picture of the kinds of plans, regulations and restrictions we need to put in place. "These in turn tell us the kind of consent conditions, compliance and land management work that is required," Mr Hulse said. "Our plans and regulations are shaped by long-term trends. "Currently, our science is telling us that nitrate concentrations are high and getting worse in some parts of Waitaha/Canterbury. "We know that intensive farming is contributing to this. "This is vital information for guiding our on-the-ground action now and setting new regulations." A replacement National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management now under consultation gives new national directions on managing water quality, but a spokesperson for Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard confirmed to the Oamaru Mail that the freshwater package did not include anything to replace the expired intensification regulations. "So consenting requirements for dairy conversions or dairy extensions will continue be managed by regional councils," the spokesperson said.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Plead For Bipartisan Resource Management Act Reform
Article – RNZ Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes. , Journalist Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes when legislation replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA) next year. The government has announced sweeping changes to the rules governing councils' oversight of everything – from housing, to mining, to agriculture – under the RMA, and these have been released for public feedback. Speaking on behalf of Te Uru Kahika – Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa, Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said when policy resets every three years, regulators scramble to deliver the new government's national direction. 'As regional councils we have effectively seen these national instruments landing on our lap as regularly as every three years. The music just has to stop. 'We need certainty, we need to be able to have the chance as regulators to actually bed in policies and rules and provide a greater certainty to people who want to do things – who want to build, who want to farm, who want to mine – because the bigger block on those things at the moment, at national and regional levels, is that we continue to change the rules.' Ponter said bipartisanship on regulations was needed to provide certainty. 'I don't want to be in the position in three or six years' time that all the rules are going to change again, because the pendulum has swung the other way.' Ponter said in recent years there had been 'more radical swings' in policy under successive governments. 'At the moment, the meat in the sandwich of all this, is the regional councils, who get accused of not doing this, or being woke, of being overly sympathetic to the environment… when all we are doing is following the national guidance that is put in front of us.' The government has released three discussion documents covering 12 national policy statements and and national environmental standards, with the aim of having 16 new or updated ones by the end of 2025, ahead of legislation replacing the RMA next year. The consultation covers three main topics: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. It is open from 29 May to 27 July. Doug Leeder, chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management. He said implementing national direction was a major undertaking that involved work with communities, industry and mana whenua. 'Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. 'When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. 'We need to work towards something more enduring.' Could bipartisanship on regulations work? 'That's the challenge for the minister but also for the leaders of those opposition parties, as well,' Ponter said. 'Everybody is going to have to find a degree of compromise if something like that is going to work.' But he said regional councils had worked constructively with successive governments and they were ready to do so again.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Plead For Bipartisan Resource Management Act Reform
Regional councils want greater certainty and bipartisanship on regulations, as they gear up for an expected spate of rule changes when legislation replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA) next year. The government has announced sweeping changes to the rules governing councils' oversight of everything - from housing, to mining, to agriculture - under the RMA, and these have been released for public feedback. Speaking on behalf of Te Uru Kahika - Regional and Unitary Councils of Aotearoa, Greater Wellington chair Daran Ponter said when policy resets every three years, regulators scramble to deliver the new government's national direction. "As regional councils we have effectively seen these national instruments landing on our lap as regularly as every three years. The music just has to stop. "We need certainty, we need to be able to have the chance as regulators to actually bed in policies and rules and provide a greater certainty to people who want to do things - who want to build, who want to farm, who want to mine - because the bigger block on those things at the moment, at national and regional levels, is that we continue to change the rules." Ponter said bipartisanship on regulations was needed to provide certainty. "I don't want to be in the position in three or six years' time that all the rules are going to change again, because the pendulum has swung the other way." Ponter said in recent years there had been "more radical swings" in policy under successive governments. "At the moment, the meat in the sandwich of all this, is the regional councils, who get accused of not doing this, or being woke, of being overly sympathetic to the environment... when all we are doing is following the national guidance that is put in front of us." The government has released three discussion documents covering 12 national policy statements and and national environmental standards, with the aim of having 16 new or updated ones by the end of 2025, ahead of legislation replacing the RMA next year. The consultation covers three main topics: infrastructure and development, the primary sector and freshwater. It is open from 29 May to 27 July. Doug Leeder, chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, has governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management. He said implementing national direction was a major undertaking that involved work with communities, industry and mana whenua. "Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. "When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. "We need to work towards something more enduring." Could bipartisanship on regulations work? "That's the challenge for the minister but also for the leaders of those opposition parties, as well," Ponter said. "Everybody is going to have to find a degree of compromise if something like that is going to work." But he said regional councils had worked constructively with successive governments and they were ready to do so again.
Scoop
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Councils Consider National Direction Packages From Government
Councils across the country are considering and preparing for a major implementation task, following the Government's release of proposed reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The proposed changes span 12 existing instruments and introduce four new ones, making this the most wide-ranging reset of national direction since the RMA was enacted. The changes will have significant implications for how land, water, biodiversity and infrastructure are managed. Speaking for the regional councils and unitary authorities of NZ, Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter said national direction drives local planning and consent decisions that are central to our environment and economy. 'Regional and unitary councils recognise the pressures on the current system and like central government, want to help solve the housing shortage, support our world-leading primary producers, enable critical infrastructure delivery, and achieve freshwater aspirations. 'We have a lot to offer to ensure national direction is implemented in an efficient and effective way that achieves good outcomes for all parts of New Zealand, and we warmly welcome Ministers and officials to visit councils and see firsthand the scale, complexity, and success of the work being done across the country,' said Chair Ponter. Having governed through the implementation of four National Policy Statements for Freshwater Management in his time as Chair of Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Doug Leeder emphasised that implementing national direction is a major undertaking that involves work with communities, industry, and mana whenua. 'Councils contend with the challenge also faced by iwi and hapū, industry, and communities that the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management has changed every three years since it has been introduced. 'When policy resets every three years, it imposes significant costs on councils and communities, creates uncertainty for farmers and businesses, and makes it harder to achieve the long-term outcomes we all want. 'We need to work towards something more enduring,' said Chair Leeder. Regional government has worked constructively with successive governments to deliver their national direction, Chair Ponter said they're ready to partner and do so again. 'We have appreciated efforts by Ministers during their review to minimise the cost of implementation to ratepayers. 'We stand ready to provide additional advice on this and other matters from our experience enabling water storage, supporting flexible freshwater farm plans, and collectively delivering more than $48 million each year into catchment and biodiversity restoration on the ground,' said Chair Ponter. Looking ahead, Te Uru Kahika welcomes the opportunity to engage constructively with the Government on the new direction. The Government's National Direction Package consultation is open until 27 July 2025.
