Sunday, 18 September 2016 10:14

Waikato agrees to ground-breaking plan on rivers

Written by 
A groundbreaking plan change proposal aimed at restoring and protecting the Waikato and Waipa rivers has been approved for public notification. A groundbreaking plan change proposal aimed at restoring and protecting the Waikato and Waipa rivers has been approved for public notification.

A groundbreaking plan change proposal aimed at restoring and protecting the Waikato and Waipa rivers has been approved by Waikato Regional Council for public notification.

Councillors were split 7-7 on a motion to approve and the measure was passed on the casting vote of the chairperson Paula Southgate.

It means the Healthy Rivers: Plan for Change/Wai Ora: He Rautaki Whakapaipai project’s proposed plan change is now due to be formally publicly notified next month.

Explaining her use of the casting vote, Southgate says the council was legislatively obliged to address water quality in the rivers due to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater and Te Ture Whaimana o Te Awa o Waikato (Vision and Strategy for the Waikato and Waipa rivers). Also, passing the motion honoured the huge collaboration and technical input into the project, as well as the council’s co-governance partnership with river iwi. Those iwi and major stakeholders supported notification. Water quality, she added, was a number one issue for Waikato people.

Public notification will begin a process whereby the wider community has a formal chance to submit on the proposed plan change, while new land use change measures take immediate effect on notification (others rules will be implemented in a phased way over time). The council agreed that the public submissions period will be no less than 80 working days. Under law, the minimum time is 20 days but the council extended this to take into account the fact that the final quarter of the year is a busy time for many. Also, what’s proposed is complex and detailed and it was felt a longer period is needed so that people better understand the meaning and impact of the policies and rules.

“Today’s vote marks a major step on the journey to restoring and protecting the Waikato and Waipa rivers,” says Alan Livingston, co-chair of the Healthy Rivers Wai Ora committee which recommended the plan change to the council. The committee is made up of river iwi representatives and regional councillors.

“The next step following formal public notification is to hear what the wider community has to say on the proposed plan change. We strongly encourage the public to have their say before this plan change is finalised. We will be publicising how people can have their say shortly.”

The proposed plan change was prepared by a multi-sector Collaborative Stakeholder Group (CSG) involving iwi, the council and stakeholders, including the farming sector. “This plan change has been the result of thousands of hours of work over the last three years by the CSG, iwi and a technical leadership group. Council’s decision today respects that significant investment by all parties,” says Livingston.

Once the submissions process kicks off upon public notification anyone can make a submission on the proposed plan change, and can support, oppose or take a neutral stance on its various parts. They can also indicate if they would like to speak at a hearing. Early next year, a summary of submissions will be made available describing all submitters’ requests and the reasons for them. People will then be able to indicate whether or not they support submissions. This will be followed by a hearings committee considering submissions on the plan, with people having an opportunity to speak to their submissions. Once the hearings committee releases its decision, people will have the option of appealing to the Environment Court. A summary of the proposed plan change is available at www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/healthyrivers

More like this

Mixed season for Waikato contractors

Last season was a mixed bag for Waikato contractors, with early planted forage maize, planted on the dry soils around Cambridge, doing badly after germination and failing to meet potential, says Jeremy Rothery, Jackson Contracting.

Dead in the water

OPINION: In a victory for common sense over virtue signalling, David Parker's National Policy Statement (NPS) work on freshwater is now dead in the water.

Standing up for rural people

Primary production select committee chair and ACT MP Mark Cameron recently contributed to the Resource Management (Freshwater and Other Matters) Amendment Bill - Second Reading in Parliament. Here are excerpts from his speech:

Mocktails and menopause

For those rural women who feel menopause might be getting the best of them, a series of events is heading to the Waikato that could help.

Featured

NZEI unhappy with funding cut for teachers

Education union NZEI Te Riu Roa says that while educators will support the Government’s investment in learning support, they’re likely to be disappointed that it has been paid for by defunding expert teachers.

EU regulations unfairly threaten $200m exports

A European Union regulation ensuring that the products its citizens consume do not contribute to deforestation or forest degradation worldwide threatens $200m of New Zealand beef and leather exports.

Bionic Plus back on vet clinic shelves

A long-acting, controlled- release capsule designed to protect ewes from internal parasites during the lambing period is back on the market following a comprehensive reassessment.

National

Top ag scientist to advise PM

A highly experienced agricultural scientist with specialist knowledge of the dairy sector is the Prime Minister's new Chief Science Advisor.

Machinery & Products

Hose runner saves time and effort

Rakaia-based equipment manufacturer Pluck’s Engineering will soon start production of a new machine designed to simplify the deployment and retrieval…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Science fiction

OPINION: Last week's announcement of Prime Minister’s new Science and Technology Advisory Council hasn’t gone down too well in the…

Bye bye Paris?

OPINION: At its recent annual general meeting, Federated Farmers’ Auckland province called for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter