Kaiate Falls is a popular attraction in the Western Bay and potential changes to local freshwater policy could change things dramatically for the site. Photo / File
Kaiate Falls is a popular attraction in the Western Bay and potential changes to local freshwater policy could change things dramatically for the site. Photo / File
Work on sweeping policy changes aimed at cleaning up Bay of Plenty waterways has begun, and is expected to bring "significant changes for all communities".
The Bay of Plenty Regional Council Strategy and Policy Committee today agreed to a series of steps to develop regional rules that line up withthe Government's National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.
The regional freshwater plan would essentially be a founding document that will underpin the regional council's work over the next seven years to reshape the management, policies, and penalties of freshwater access, use and quality.
Committee chairwoman Paula Thompson told the Bay of Plenty Times the focus of the plan, and the decision was two-pronged.
"It's cleaning up and improving the water quality of our rivers, streams and lakes and looking at trying to allocate the water more fairly."
The plan is expected to result in potential sweeping policy changes affecting all residents, but particularly Māori and farmers.
Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor Paula Thompson, pictured here at a water rally in 2017, is involved in big changes coming to local water access and use. Photo / File
There were challenges to meeting the Government-imposed 2024 deadline for putting a new policy in place, Thompson said.
"We are required to work closely with Māori and the Bay of Plenty is quite unique in that we have 37 iwi and 230-odd hapū. So the complexity is also huge."
The policy options, and what they meant to residents, were still being developed.
However, regional council chief executive Fiona McTavish told councillors their decision whether to accept the report presented by staff carried particular weight.
"This is critical to our region," she said.
The report included two papers on the regional council's freshwater policy programme and a communications and engagement plan for approval.
The plan was necessary to progress extensive new requirements under the Government's National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPSFM).
The regional council, like all others, needed to have the final policy completed by December 2024. Implementation is expected to take place from 2025 to 2027.
Bay of Plenty Regional Council chief executive Fiona McTavish says plans regarding local freshwater access and use are 'critical'. Photo / File
"We are well-positioned, it will take time and it will take time for the community to understand the implications for these, there will be significant changes for all communities," McTavish said.
"These timeframes are really about taking everybody with us."
In the meeting, councillors debated the notion of attacking the issue "hard and fast".
Councillor Norm Brunning said there had already been a lot of work that had gone into the plan so "I really do not understand how it's going to take this long to do".
Councillor Stuart Crosby said: "These are big-ticket policy and strategic items".
"We need to be careful about how fast we go. How we start and go through this process is absolutely critical. I would just caution about going faster and potentially leaving the community behind because that will likely make us go slow."
Councillor Stacey Rose said he felt the year's worth of "intense engagement" with the community, referred to in the plan, was not enough.
"This is something about getting our community alongside us and moving forward together as a region."
Councillor Jane Nees said: "It's about doing it well and bringing our community with us."
Principal advisor, policy and planning, Nicola Green and policy and planning manager Julie Bevan said in the report there would be social and economic implications.
"At this stage, it is difficult to anticipate the net outcomes. There will be economic costs, and some may be significant, as seen as a result of the Lake Rotorua Nutrient Rules ... There may also be some economic opportunities."
Operating expenditure for the work in 2021/22 was expected to cost $1.2 million.
The full costs of implementing the plan are not known as funding and budgets are yet to be established during annual and long term planning.
The plan will next be discussed at a Long Term Plan meeting next week.
