Future Proof Submission on
Next Steps for Freshwater
April 2016
1
Introduction
This is a submission by the Future Proof Implementation Committee (FPIC), the governance group
responsible for implementation of the Future Proof Growth Strategy.
The FPIC includes
representatives from the Future Proof sub-regional councils of the Waikato Regional Council,
Hamilton City Council, Waipa and Waikato Districts as well as Tāngata Whenua.
The Future Proof Strategy is a 50-year growth management vision and implementation plan which
was adopted by the Strategy partners on 30 June 2009. Future Proof is currently in the
implementation phase. The Strategy takes a strategic, integrated approach to long term planning
and growth management.
The Future Proof Sub-Regional Growth Partners wish to thank the Ministry for the Environment for
the opportunity to comment on their ‘Next Steps for freshwater – consultation document’ released
February 2016 for submission by 22 April 2016. The improvement of fresh water in the sub-region is
governed by the Vision and Strategy which is part of the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato
River) Settlement Act 2010, and the Nga Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River) Act 2012. This settlement
has been helpful in setting a direction to move forward in maintaining or improving freshwater in
the Waikato and Waipa River Catchments.
2.
2.1
The Future Proof Strategy
The Future Proof Sub-Region
The ‘sub-region’ refers to the administrative areas of the territorial authorities of Hamilton City
Council, Waipa District Council, and Waikato District Council, and is an area of rapid population and
development growth. The Waikato region is the 4th largest in New Zealand and is part of the ‘golden
triangle’ that is Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. The golden triangle is expected to contain
53% of the nation’s population by 2031 and account for over half of New Zealand’s total economic
activity.
The Future Proof sub-region is the growth hub of the Waikato region. It is projected that the Future
Proof sub-region will contain 96% of the entire Waikato region’s population growth out to 2026.
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The Future Proof Strategy seeks to provide a consistent knowledge base and vision for its partner
councils and other agencies in order to plan for, and sustainably manage growth in an integrated
manner. Specifically the Strategy provides a framework for co-operatively managing growth and
setting goals for future implementation. This allows the costs and resources required to fund and
manage infrastructure such as transport, wastewater, stormwater, recreation and cultural facilities
to be identified and provided for.
2.2
Strategy Features
The key features of the Future Proof Strategy are:

A focus on providing well designed, sustainable and affordable housing and lifestyle choices;

Increased densities in new residential development and more intensive redevelopment of
some existing urban areas to reduce the need for car dependency;

Metropolitan Hamilton being a vibrant and lively place where people want to live, work and
play;

Thriving business centers in the sub-region’s towns providing local housing and employment
options along with a range of social and recreational activities;

Development directed away from hazard areas;

Green spaces (i.e. wildlife habitats, public open space and farmland) between settlements;

Planning focused on resilience of communities and infrastructure while moving towards
highly energy efficient devices and low carbon emissions;

Protection of future infrastructure corridors, energy generation sites and mineral deposits;

Protection of versatile and productive farmland by directing rural-residential and residential
development and business land closer to towns and villages. This will also assist in reducing
reverse sensitivity issues;

Identification, planned maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity areas, clusters and
corridors;

Integrated transport and land-use planning;

The values, principles, aspirations, role, responsibility and place of tāngata whenua in the
sub-region;

Development of key transport corridors; and

Recognition of and support for protection of strategic nationally and regionally important
service and businesses.
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2.3 Freshwater in the Future Proof Strategy
The Future Proof Strategy contains a number of key approaches relating to freshwater. These are as
follows:

Valuing waterways and wetlands for their unique recreational, aesthetic, cultural, and
environmental health values.

Protect natural values and aquatic ecosystems including the continued naturalisation of
waterways and increasing connectivity and size of riparian habitats.

Provide incentive-based approaches, including pricing and charging that reflect true
environmental costs at the development stage.

Use water-sensitive and low-impact urban design in forward planning and implementation
of a stormwater system.

Preserve existing topographic and natural features, including watercourses and wetlands.

Improve the community knowledge and understanding of water conservation and water
management issues.

Give special consideration to estuaries or waterways that are susceptible to increasing
sediment loads.

Ensure statutory and non-statutory documents and approaches align with settlement
legislation.

Strive to maintain important predevelopment hydrological characteristics of development
areas, including wetlands, soakage areas, gullies, flood flow paths and stream channels.

Ensure buffer zones and riparian planting is encouraged between development areas and
water bodies through appropriate changes to the RPS, regional plans, district plans,
development manuals and consent processes.

Ensure adequate processes are developed with respect to water to actively protect tāngata
whenua environmental, cultural, social, and economic well-being.
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3. Future Proof Submission
3.1 Freshwater and Our Environment
The Waikato and Waipa River catchments have traditionally been managed in sub- catchments so
the partners believe the idea of Freshwater Management Units (FMUs) versus a whole region will
lead to better understandings of how changes can be made to land use activities to reach the
objectives of the Vision and Strategy and the National Policy Statement- Freshwater Management
(NPS-FM).
The Future Proof partners have no comment on the second question, regarding attribute bands, as it
is not clear how the flexibility within the attribute bands would operate in the sub-region given the
Vision and Strategy has a higher threshold of achievement (i.e. swimmable and fishable)than the
NPS-FM.
The Future Proof partners support the idea of using Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI)
alongside other measures that take into account the context such as the surrounding land use
activities.
The Future Proof partners support the principle of significant infrastructure being able to seek
exemptions through public notification from the NPS-FM but emphasise the significant
infrastructure would be more than hydro-electric dams. Both the regional council and the territorial
authorities have significant infrastructure.
The Future Proof partners are not affected by the proposals relating to intermittently closing or
opening lakes or lagoons.
The Future Proof partners support the stock exclusion from fresh water national regulations.
3.2 Economic Use of Freshwater
The concept of technical efficiency is supported but will require clarity as to the method/s to be used
under any circumstance to create a net benefit, including external costs of alternative water use.
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The principle of Good Management Practice (GMP) is supported but there will be challenges with
the implementation, monitoring and enforcement. There will be financial implications for councils to
make GMP successful and at some stage there will be a need to decide the degree to which the GMP
is going to be statutory or non-statutory.
The Future Proof partners support in principle the use of transfers especially if it can involve both
surface and groundwater and the associated costs for all parties are minimised.
The issue of over allocation is a vexed issue and the best way forward is probably a mixed model of
education, rules and greater flexibility of transfers amongst users in the same FMU.
3.3 Iwi Rights and Interests in Freshwater
General comment:
The Future Proof partners support the Ministry in addressing hapuu and iwi rights and interests in
fresh water, however, the Waikato-Tainui Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010, and
the Nga Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River) Act 2012 establish clear expectations around co-governance
and co-management in the Waipa and Waikato catchments through the use of joint management
agreements.
The Future Proof partners support the view that the meaning of Te Mana o te Wai and its status
needs to be included as a policy rather than a purpose statement within the NPS – FM.
In the Waikato this work is being implemented through the Waipa and Waikato River Restoration
Strategy, the Vision and Strategy and the iwi environmental management plans.
The development of a statutory requirement, such as a Joint Management Agreement, with specific
schedules of engagement with iwi/hapuu about their values for freshwater bodies would help
support councils.
A new rohe-based agreement would be unnecessary in the Waikato because of the Waikato-Tainui
Raupatu Claims (Waikato River) Settlement Act 2010, and the Nga Wai o Maniapoto (Waipa River)
Act 2012.
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The Future proof partners have very little to do with applications for water conservation orders but
in principle we support the need for evidence in an application of the involvement of iwi/hapuu and
support the idea of an iwi representative on the Special Tribunal convened to hear the application.
This is a practice followed for resource consents and planning documents, where appropriate, in the
Future Proof sub-region
The Future proof partners support the idea of additional funding to improve water infrastructure at
marae and papakaainga.
3.4 Freshwater Funding
The Future proof partners support the idea of broadening the focus of the $100 million over ten
years to buy and retire selected areas of farmland next to important waterways to create an
environmental buffer that helps improve water quality. It will be important to provide clarity around
who will be responsible for administering the fund and that the process is efficient and transparent.
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