✨ Environmental Policy Continuation
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 71
4 JULY 2014
freshwater quality may take generations depending on the characteristics of each freshwater management unit.
Monitoring plans are intended to be practical and affordable. It is not possible for regional councils to monitor every drop of fresh water. Monitoring against freshwater objectives need only be undertaken at representative sites within a region as identified by regional councils. Monitoring plans are also intended to recognise the importance of long term trends in data.
Setting enforceable quality and quantity limits is a key purpose of this national policy statement. This is a fundamental step to achieving environmental outcomes and creating the necessary incentives to use fresh water efficiently, while providing certainty for investment. Water quality and quantity limits must reflect local and national values. The process for setting limits should be informed by the best available information and scientific and socio-economic knowledge.
Once limits are set, freshwater resources need to be allocated to users, while providing the ability to transfer entitlements between users so that we maximise the value we get from water. Where water resources are over-allocated (in terms of quality and quantity) to the point that national and local values are not met, we also need to ensure that over-allocation is reduced over agreed timeframes.
The New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement 2010 addresses issues with water quality in the coastal environment. The management of coastal water and fresh water requires an integrated and consistent approach.
Review
The Minister for the Environment intends to seek an independent review of the implementation and effectiveness of this national policy statement in achieving all its objectives and policies and in achieving the purpose of the Act, no later than 1 July 2016. The Minister shall then consider the need to review, change or revoke this national policy statement. Collection of monitoring data to inform this review will begin at least two years prior to the review.
This preamble may assist the interpretation of the national policy statement.
NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF FRESH WATER AND TE MANA O TE WAI
This national policy statement is about recognising the national significance of fresh water for all New Zealanders and Te Mana o te Wai.
A range of community and tāngata whenua values, including those identified as appropriate from Appendix 1, may collectively recognise the national significance of fresh water and Te Mana o te Wai as a whole. The aggregation of community and tāngata whenua values and the ability of fresh water to provide for them over time recognises the national significance of fresh water and Te Mana o te Wai.
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NZ Gazette 2014, No 71
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
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National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2014
(continued from previous page)
🏛️ Governance & Central AdministrationEnvironmental Policy, Freshwater Management, Resource Management Act 1991, Monitoring, Allocation, Review