What the Forum said and what's being done

Since its beginning in 2009, the Land and Water Forum has produced four substantial reports and a number of other public documents.

Reports

‘A Fresh Start for Freshwater’ Report (September 2010 - pdf)

Report to Ministers following regional engagement meetings (5 April 2011 - pdf)

Second Report of the Land and Water Forum (May 2012 - pdf, 1.75 MB)

Third Report of the Land and Water Forum (November 2012 - pdf, 4 MB)

Fourth Report of the Land and Water Forum (November 2015 - pdf, 2.5 MB)

Advice from Forum to Ministers on NOF development (August 2016 - pdf)

Briefing Note to LAWF commentaries on implementation of the NPS-FM (June 2017 - pdf)

Land and Water Forum commentary on the implementation of the NPS-FM (June 2017 - pdf)

Land and Water Forum commentary on MfE's NPS-FM implementation review (June 2017 - pdf)

Better Freshwater Management (December 2017 - pdf)

Land and Water Forum advice on improving water quality: preventing degradation and addressing sediment and nitrogen (May 2018).

Overview of recommendations

Limit Setting

  • Local decisions on land and water management made within national frameworks
  • Objectives for the state of waterways, which determine limits on takes and discharges
  • Collaborative processes to recommend rules in plans by consensus, as the key to buy-in and innovation

Integrated Catchment Management

  • Ongoing development of science and data to support limit-setting and catchment management
  • Elaboration of good management practice and its immediate deployment across the country
  • Resolution of iwi rights and interests
  • New arrangements for allocating water as catchments become fully allocated – and better provision for transfer
  • Arrangements for allocating rights to discharge contaminants – and provision to transfer them where possible

Implementation of recommendations

In April 2016, and again in July 2018 the Land and Water Forum Secretariat did an assessment of which recommendations contained in the Forum's four reports have been and are being implemented by the Government, regional councils and other organisations - and to what extent. 

April 2016 analysis of implementation of Forum recommendations to date (A3 pdf) and cover note

July 2018 analysis of implementation of Forum recommendations to date (A3 pdf) and Appendix 1 re rec 2.23

Forum takes a break

The Forum has completed its current phase of work, so members have decided to take a break from July 2018, as we did in 2010 and again at the completion of the Third Report in 2012. Members are ready to gather again should we feel there is another tranche of work to do to continue to improve NZ's freshwater management system. Members will await with interest the Government's response to our latest report.

Forum advice on improving water quality

The Forum has provided advice to Ministers David Parker and Damien O'Connor on improving water quality through preventing degradation and addressing sediment and nitrogen. Download the report, and the press release.

Forum News

The Forum is pleased that recommendations made last year have now been incorporated in the latest NPS-FM - see press release. We are also pleased to release our review of implementation of the NPS-FM and commentary on MfE's implementation review.

Forum submission on 'Clean Water' discussion document

Download the Land and Water Forum submission on the Ministry for the Environment's Clean Water consultation and proposed changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

Progress on implementation of recommendations

Here is a table (pdf, 311 KB) and cover note (Word, 500 KB) that sets out the Land and Water Forum Secretariat's assessment in April 2016 of which recommendations contained in the Forum's four reports have been and are being implemented by the Government, regional councils and other organisations - and to what extent. We intend this to be a living document and we will try to keep it up to date.

Launch of the Fourth Report of the Land and Water Forum

The Forum’s fourth major report addresses how to maximise the economic benefits of freshwater while managing within water quality and quantity limits that are set consistent with the National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management 2014 (NPS-FM). It also recommends exclusion of livestock from waterways on plains and lowland hills, addresses a number of urban issues and suggests tools and approaches to assist the Crown’s exploration of rights and interests with iwi.

Download the report (pdf, 2.5 MB), the Chair's speech at the launch of the report and the press release.

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