Freshwater management objectives | Oranga Wai

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This engagement closed on August 28, 2023. You can still share your thoughts with us via our feedback form.

The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) requires Horizons Regional Council to identify a number of objectives that the One Plan – our guide to managing natural resources in our region – will seek to achieve. To date, we have developed:

A draft objective which describes how the management of freshwater in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region will implement Te Mana o te Wai.
Draft long-term visions for freshwater for each of our freshwater management units (FMU).
Draft freshwater values.
Draft environmental outcomes for each freshwater value.

You can learn more about those drafts at the bottom of this page.

Graphic of NOF

The draft long-term visions and values have been informed by previous community engagements. You can find out more about these engagements here.

While the official survey closed on 27 August 2023, we still welcome your feedback on our draft policy via our feedback form.

Lake Horowhenua with the Tararua Ranges in the background

Te Mana o Te Wai

The Regional Council is required to work with our communities and tangata whenua to understand how Te Mana o te Wai applies locally to water bodies and freshwater ecosystems in the region. A local understanding has now been developed.

Father and son swimming near a waterfall

Draft freshwater values

The NPS-FM contains four compulsory values and other values that must be considered. Previous engagement with our community has helped us to identify other values relevant to our region.

Draft environmental outcomes

Every value must have one or more environmental outcomes linked to it. Where a value describes a particular thing the region’s communities care about, the environmental outcome articulates what success looks like in providing for that value.

Draft long-term visions for freshwater

Our regional vision, plus a vision for most of our Freshwater Management Units (FMUs), has now been developed. These draft visions are a result of tangata whenua, stakeholders and the wider community feedback via engagement in 2022.

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

We want to hear from you

We welcome your feedback on our draft policy. The official engagement has closed, but you can still send us your thoughts via our feedback form.