Arotake Kaupapahere Waimāori - Freshwater Policy Review - tangata whenua

He puna ora, he wai ora | Water is the source of life

We asked for tangata whenua input to our Arotake Kaupapahere Waimāori – Freshwater Policy Review.

How we manage our environment so the freshwater bodies of the Waikato are healthy and safe is the focus of Waikato Regional Council’s Freshwater Policy Review. This policy review is just one of the requirements under central government’s Essential Freshwater package, which is about stopping further degradation of New Zealand’s fresh water and improving its quality and ecosystem health.

Over the next two years, we’ll be making changes to our Waikato Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and Waikato Regional Plan to bring them into line with this direction. To do this, we’ll be seeking input from tangata whenua, farmers, industry, rural professionals and the general public throughout our policy review process to ensure many voices are heard and considered in helping us to determine the best solution to managing our region’s fresh water.

For this phase of the review, we wanted to hear from tangata whenua to understand what they value about fresh water in their takiwā and how it should be managed. We'll also sought whakaaro on Te Mana o Te Wai, long-term visions and the best ways to achieve them.

The opportunity to provide feedback closed on 12 December 2022.

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