From Waikato Regional Council
Managing the environment and keeping freshwater bodiesvhealthy is the focus of the Freshwater Policy Review. This policy review is just one of the requirements under central government’s Essential Freshwater package, which is about stopping further degradation of New Zealand’s fresh water and improving its quality and ecosystem health.
Over the next two years, Waikato Regional Council will be making changes to the Waikato Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and Waikato Regional Plan to bring them into line with this direction. To do this, they'll be seeking input from tangata whenua, farmers, industry, rural professionals and the general public to identify and understand their issues, values and aspirations for fresh water, and to determine how they'll measure our progress.
The views and feedback shared will help to inform changes to the RPS and the development of a new regional plan, which they anticipate will be notified for public submission in 2024 and operative by 2026.
It’s a massive task and the timeframe to do it is tight but by working together we will ensure our waterways can be used and enjoyed for generations to come, making our Waikato even better.
Care about fresh water? Now is your chance to have your say.
Waikato Regional Council are holding one-day water workshops with communities around the region before they make changes to the Waikato Regional Policy Statement and Waikato Regional Plan, to bring them into line with new central government directions. This is a day to find out about the new directions for freshwater planning and how they might influence you and your local water bodies, to share information about the state of waterways in your area, and to seek the best solutions on how fresh water should be managed.
Read more and register for the workshop at the Waikato Regional Council Website.