3 minute read
Natural resources and environment
NATURAL RESOURCES
AND ENVIRONMENT
Michelle Sands : HortNZ environment manager
Hawke’s Bay Outstanding Water Bodies – Mediation
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Plan Change 7: Outstanding Water Bodies proposes to change the Regional Resource Management Plan (RRMP) to include a list of the region’s outstanding water bodies, together with a framework that prescribes a high level of protection for these water bodies in future plans. The water bodies identified in the proposed plan change are the ’best of the best’, featuring exceptional cultural, spiritual, recreational, natural character, landscape, geological, or ecological values which are remarkable in Hawke’s Bay. The decision on the plan change was appealed by parties wanting to add more water bodies and more criteria. Horticulture New Zealand has joined the appeal and is participating in the mediation. HortNZ’s involvement in the mediation is to help make the plan provisions clear and easy to understand for future plan users. We want to ensure that the identification of outstanding water bodies and their significant values is related to the purpose of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater, and that only those water bodies that are truly outstanding are captured by the plan change. HortNZ and its independent planning participated in the mediation in April. Our mediation team has drawn on ecological and recreational experts to assist with developing outstanding criteria.
The Ministry for the Environment developed a discussion document on a proposed National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land (NPSHPL) in 2019. HortNZ and other grower organisations submitted on the discussion document. HortNZ was supportive of the proposed statement as it recognises the importance of highly productive land for domestic food supply and low emissions food production. We highlighted the tensions between highly productive land and urban development that result in the loss of productive soils and the reduction in the productive capacity of land due to reverse sensitivity. HortNZ also highlighted tensions between the use of productive soils and freshwater policy. This issue has been further emphasised with the recently proposed National Environmental Standard for Drinking Water. HortNZ has sought national direction that supports decision making where local trade-offs are required to achieve national outcomes, recognising that a resilient domestic food supply and lower emissions food production are nationally important outcomes. The government’s work on the NPSHPL was delayed due to Covid-19. The government intends to adopt a policy for highly productive land this year. The Ministry for Primary Industries has been undertaking very targeted consultation on the draft NPSHPL. It has spoken to HortNZ and growers, as well as other primary sector organisations, Local Government New Zealand and Te Mana Whakahaere.
National Policy Statement for Freshwater – Regional Value Setting Work
The National Policy Statement for Freshwater requires regional councils to develop Freshwater Plan Changes by 2024 to implement the National Policy Statement for Freshwater (NPSFM). The NPSFM includes a process for communities to have input which requires freshwater vision, values and outcomes to be set along with a planning process that implements freshwater limits to achieve the outcomes over time.
Regional councils are starting conversations with their communities on vision and values for freshwater. HortNZ is having discussions with several regional councils and is in the process of establishing regional grower reference groups to ensure that growers’ voices are heard. One of the issues we are highlighting to regional councils is that the NPSFM vision is about freshwater pressures and future catchment uses. Councils must give effect to Te Mana o Te Wai and apply the hierarchy of obligations when setting a freshwater vision. The vision for freshwater should speak to freshwater outcomes and limits and therefore needs to reflect the hierarchy of values associated with the use of water in particular catchments.
