Final water forum report provides guidance for quality improvement

26 June 2018

Water New Zealand says the recommendations from the Land and Water Forum provide the government with a clear pathway towards tackling the decline in water quality.

Chief executive John Pfahlert says the most recent report, released today, identifies key issues which have slowed progress towards better water management.

He says it is clear that there is a need for strong central government leadership to address the complex and challenging issue of water quality.

“We need a nationally co-ordinated approach to both urban and rural water management.

“The report calls for stronger measures to address the impact of urban pollution on waterways including a national requirement for good management practice.This would require accelerating and expanding the government’s current work to define good management practice and would complement government reforms such as the three waters review.

“It also says stronger measures need to be taken to protect wetlands and calls for the closure of loopholes in the RMA and National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management which have allowed for continued decline in water quality.

“The forum had the very difficult, but important, task of bringing together more than 60 diverse stakeholder groups and organisations in order to seek consensus and find common ground.

“Since it began in 2009, LAWF has made more than 250 recommendations that together provide a blueprint for how freshwater should be managed in New Zealand. It has also provided comment and advice on implementation of the NPS on Freshwater Management and how it could be improved.

“I congratulate the forum’s Chair, Dr Hugh Logan and his predecessor Alastair Bisley for their guidance over the past decade and certainly hope to see the recommendations inform the government’s work programme around water reform. “

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