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What is Oranga Wai?

Oranga Wai | Our Freshwater Future is Horizons Regional Council’s way to ensure you can learn about and be involved in some key changes to freshwater management in our region.

What's involved?

Reflecting the views of people in our region

As a result of central government’s Essential Freshwater Package, we have to revise how we ensure the well-being and sustainable use of freshwater in our region. Some engagement rounds have been done already. Others will happen before we go through a legal process to change the rules.

Explore our freshwater policy development and give us feedback

On this page, you can find our draft objectives, policies and rules as they are developed following community engagement. We remain open to feedback on these pieces of work as they are developed.

Photo of a stream with rocks running through the centre and native bush surrounding the water

What is the Essential Freshwater package?

In 2020, the national direction for protecting, enhancing and preventing further damage to waterways, lakes and streams was announced by the Minister for the Environment. The Essential Freshwater package signalled where changes to freshwater management would be made.

Map showing Freshwater Management Units and waterways in the Horizons region

Freshwater Management Units

Freshwater Management Units (FMUs) will change the way we manage freshwater in our region.

Horizons Regional Council monitoring environmental data at a river

What the science tells us

Horizons collects environmental data and initiates research that informs decision making around policy and regulation to ensure that we all manage our activities in a sustainable way.

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