Government must act on land and water forum recommendations

The second report of the Land and Water Forum, released yesterday, is a landmark in the establishment of a collaborative process for managing freshwater in New Zealand and must be picked up by the Government, Labour’s Environment spokesperson Grant Robertson said.

“This has been a significant process that has seen almost every stakeholder come on board. There has been give and take and a consensus has emerged that gives sustainability and certainty.

“The National-led government does not need to muck around.  The blueprint is here, they should get on with its implementation,” Grant Robertson said.

“The report recommends strengthening the National Policy Statement on Freshwater, something which Labour has been calling for since it was released by the government last July.

“It is vital that we have robust national standards if we are to improve the quality of our freshwater.  Further, the report recommends limits for use of water and national ‘bottom lines’, through a mechanism such as a national environment standard.

“All of these will help provide the certainty that many in the community have been calling for,” Grant Robertson said.

“The success of the Land and Water Forum has been that it has used a collaborative process that sees all players at the table.  They are now recommending this for the development of objectives and limits at the regional and national level.  This will be a big challenge for local and central government, but offers the prospect of a whole new way of policy making that will be inclusive and durable.

“The Forum still has a further report to provide on allocation of water, and there are significant decisions to be made in that area.  But they can be proud of this report.

“It’s now up to the National government to keep faith with the work of the Forum and get on with the implementation,” Grant Robertson said.