MEDIA RELEASE

Partnership towards sustainable water management

For immediate release: Wednesday 12 June 2008

Environment Bay of Plenty has welcomed the announcement of a national primary sector partnership to actively anticipate and engage on water management issues.

The Primary Sector Water Partnership Leadership Document, released on Monday, presents the partnership's action plan to achieving sustainability in freshwater resource use.

It includes a strong focus on working with central and regional governments to achieve its goals.

Chairman John Cronin said the regional council supported the document and would be looking at how it could work with the organisations involved.

"We congratulate the organisations involved for taking the initiative. It's great to be on the front foot with issues like this, being proactive rather than reactive," Mr Cronin said.

As well as how it can work with the partnership organisations, Mr Cronin said the regional council would also be looking at where its input could provide the greatest benefit to help achieve the aims identified in the document in partnership with the lead organisations.

During the coming weeks, he said the regional council would be talking to the partnership group and further cementing relationships where it believed it could provide the greatest value. The Partnership group consists of Fonterra, Dairy NZ, the Foundation for Arable Research, Horticulture NZ, NZ Farm Forestry, Meat and Wool NZ, New Zealand Forest Owners Association, Irrigation New Zealand, Fertiliser Manufacturers Research Association and Federated Farmers.

ENDS

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