Setting our direction for improving freshwater in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland
We are working out what we need to change to put the health of our freshwater first.
Your feedback last year helped us develop values and a vision to better manage our freshwater in Tāmaki Makaurau/ Auckland through the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM).
Now we want to know if you think we are moving in the right direction.
About the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management
The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management is a government policy to guide how we can manage freshwater across New Zealand.
It covers our:
- rivers
- streams
- lakes
- wetlands
- aquifers (groundwater)
- springs.
It also considers:
- how freshwater affects coastal waters
- the impacts of climate change.
The results from this round of feedback will be worked into next year’s proposed Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) plan change.
Supporting documents and tools
To support this engagement, we have developed:
- Setting Our Direction – our consultation document
- a Geographic Information System (GIS) online mapping tool with detailed information about the region
- a state and trend dashboard about the health of our waterbodies
- Information summary sheet for farmers
- Information summary sheet based on Māori freshwater values
What we want your feedback on
We would like feedback on many aspects of the plan, so we have split the feedback form into different topic areas.
If you would like to provide feedback on just some aspects of the plan, you can skip to the sections which are most important to you.
The sections are:
- long-term vision
- values and environmental outcomes
- waterbodies where special management is required
- achieving the vision and environmental outcomes for freshwater
- habitat protection and improvement
- water quantity
- other feedback.
We encourage you to read the proposed approach and supporting information before you answer the questions.
How you can have your say
You can have your say by:
- filling in our online feedback form
- emailing freshwaterplanning@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz with a scanned copy of your feedback form
- posting your completed form to Fresh Water Auckland, Auckland Council, Private Bag 92300, Victoria Street West, Auckland, 1142.
Engagement with mana whenua is ongoing and undertaken through a separate process.
When you can have your say
You can have your say from 3 November to 4 December 2023.
What happens next
We are required to inform the public about any decision/our plans to apply the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management to the Auckland Unitary Plan at the end of December 2024.
The NPS-FM requires action plans to be developed as soon as reasonably practicable.
These action plans will help us:
- stop freshwater degradation
- improve water quality and ecosystem health.
In Auckland we have decided to develop action plans at the same time as the AUP plan change.