Auditor-General's report published, Principles for effectively co-governing natural resources

This afternoon the Auditor-General’s report Principles for effectively co-governing natural resources was presented to the House of Representatives.

Many New Zealanders are taking part in projects, independently or in partnership with local or central government agencies, to conserve the environment for future generations and protect our economic, social, and cultural well-being.

Some of these projects are co-governed. Policies on, and approaches to, co-governance vary. Most importantly, successful co-governance relies on effective relationships. All parties to a relationship need to value it and prioritise building an effective relationship. This takes time and commitment. Building and maintaining mutual trust and respect needs constant attention to achieve good environmental outcomes.

This report identifies some principles to consider when setting up and maintaining effective co-governance arrangements. The principles are:

• build and maintain a shared understanding of what everyone is trying to achieve;
• build the structures, processes, and understanding about how people will work together;
• involve people who have the right experience and capacity;
• be accountable and transparent about performance, achievements, and challenges; and
• plan for financial sustainability and adapt as circumstances change.

Good environmental outcomes can take time to achieve. Governance arrangements and participants will change. People need to be flexible and willing to adapt, and co-governance arrangements should be reviewed from time to time to ensure that they remain fit for purpose.

This report also includes case studies of how co-governance has enabled six environmental projects to help achieve their goals.

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