Te wai, he taonga | Wai, it matters.

Ko tātou ko te wai, ko te wai ko tātou – We are the water and the water is us.

We’re developing a new freshwater plan for Te Taitokerau

The Freshwater Plan Change is a blueprint for improving the health of freshwater – rivers, streams, lakes, wetlands and aquifers – in Te Taitokerau Northland. It means big changes to how land and freshwater is managed in our region.

Summary of feedback on the draft plan

We know big changes are needed to significantly improve the health of freshwater in our region.

We consulted the community about the draft changes from November 2023 to March 2024. We’ll use the feedback we received to help shape the proposed Freshwater Plan Change, which is the next step in the process of developing our new freshwater plan.

We received feedback from hundreds of Northlanders from all walks of life, and we thank everyone who took the time to participate in the webinars, huis and drop-in events, as well as providing their feedback in writing or online. We have carefully read all your feedback. You can read the feedback we received in our Draft Freshwater Plan Change Consultation Summary Report after the Council workshop scheduled for 14 May 2024.

What happens next

The new government has extended the deadline for council to notify its proposed plan change, the next phase of the process, from 2024 to 2027 and has signalled its intention to revise national policy on freshwater.

We do not yet know what the revised national policy might look like. What we do know is that we have major challenges with our freshwater quality, and we need a plan for improving the health of our wai.

We are using the additional time to review the feedback we received during public consultation on the draft Freshwater Plan Change and continue working with tāngata whenua and the primary sector to develop a balanced approach to freshwater management. This will make sure we are well placed to meet the new deadline and adapt to any future changes the Government makes to national freshwater policy.

The next version of the plan will be the proposed Freshwater Plan Change. The proposed plan will be informed by public feedback on the draft plan. You’ll be able to make a formal submission on the proposed plan change and present your views to an independent Freshwater Hearing Panel. We are unsure of the timing for this next step, but council has decided it will not notify the proposed Freshwater Plan Change until after the revised national policy on freshwater is released so any major government policy changes can be addressed.

Freshwater plan change timeline