Transcript Slide 1

Land & Water Subcommittee
October 2012
Healthy Rivers – Plan for Change
Draft Waikato Regional Plan Change 1
Waikato and Waipa River Catchments
Content
1. Recap on reasons for plan review process
2. Resolutions made to date
3. Project update
Why a regional plan review process?
Water quality
monitoring
results
Legal
requirements
Plan
review
process
Policy
effectiveness
reviews
Stakeholder
expectations
Legal requirements
Current regional plan does not manage adverse
effects of non-point source discharges
set limits,
targets and
methods for
achievement
give effect to
in plans along
Waikato and
Waipā rivers
Independent policy effectiveness reviews
OAG report on
freshwater quality
Policy effectiveness
review of regional plan
Review of regional
plan ‘giving effect’ to the
Vision and Strategy
more needed to
manage risks
managing effects
of agriculture most
important, urgent
expected to
further support
Water quality monitoring results
Nutrients
(N and P)
trend
RISING
both rivers, 20+ years
Sediment
level
HIGH
Waipā, lower Waikato
Bacteria
level
HIGH
Waipā, lower Waikato,
downstream of Karapiro
But some water quality measures better, from
improved industrial and wastewater discharges
Stakeholder expectations
Iwi
Community
swimmable,
fishable, food
gathering
clean rivers
The
rivers
Industry
use, profit, provide
for future
opportunities
Overseas
markets
environment to
support reputation
Content
1. Recap on reasons for plan review process
2. Resolutions made to date
3. Project update
Background - Resolutions
•
Staff to work with iwi to co-design plan review
•
Staged approach to implementing NPS:
Freshwater
•
Understand and develop co-governance & comanagement arrangements
Background – Resolutions cont...
• WRC commence plan change process
• Partnership Charter (#2146626) endorsed
• Work closely with all interested and potentially
affected stakeholders
Content
1. Recap on reasons for plan review process
2. Resolutions made to date
3. Project update
Project update
• Joint Working Party
• Engagement Strategy
• Communication
• Technical Alliance
• Decembers subcommittee mgt:
 Project Messaging
 Engagement Strategy
 Technical Alliance
Key steps
1
2
3
Understand all
sides of issue
Develop limits
and targets
Develop options
and policy mix
• Get balanced view
listen to locals, farmers, industry leaders,
foresters, recreationalists, environmental
groups
• Work with stakeholders to work out
limits and when
• use information from step 1 and from
independent scientists and experts
• Develop range of policy methods
• talk with communities, farmers, foresters,
recreationalists and industry to find out
what’s most likely to work
changes to
land use
practices
changes to
council and industry
practices
Plan change
might include
limits and targets
for water bodies
maximum amounts
of contaminants
(nutrients, sediment
and bacteria) from
point and non-point
sources allowed to
enter land or water
specific outcomes
for ecological health
and recreation,
fisheries and
mahinga kai
(customary food
collection)
• If needed, extra slides below
Technical Alliance
advisory group of specialists
from range of domains
agree on problem
statement, including
causes
create range of land use
scenarios and possible
consequences on
catchment and property
review/refine
consequences as
project progresses
Menu of farm practices
• to help prepare farmers for limits
• tools to use now, plus their contribution to lowering
footprint
• nutrient-focused, but multiple contaminants
• based on peer-reviewed science
• will also inform policy
• March 2013 expected release date