Given the importance of water to New Zealand, it is time to consider having separate but complementary planning and environmental protection legislation, says Water NZ's president.

'This approach may sound familiar to those [aged] over 50 years, who worked under previous acts – and those who live in jurisdictions outside New Zealand where protection of the water environment is not bargained away on a case by case basis against other self-interest,” says Steve Couper, while speaking at his organisation's annual conference in October.

The Government has signalled some of its intentions around reform, and a Resource Management Act Reform Bill will be introduced into Parliament later this year, says Steve, who believes this will establish a national objectives framework for water quality and quantity.

This will allow for collaborative processes as an option to be used by communities in their planning for water; and provide for iwi involvement in management of the resource, says Steve. Plus, an environmental reporting regime has also been signalled.
'But is this what we need?

Will further tinkering improve an act that we know is not delivering on water quality?
'Or should we be looking for a regulatory regime that provides an environmental bottom line with critical outcomes that are clearly defined; rather than the continuous re-litigation and trade-offs that we have now for each and every consent where social, cultural and economic considerations, and other interests all have weighting alongside our environment?”

Steve says surely other important aspects should be considered at a strategic level, 'so that, as a society, we can decide what is important to us and then set a well-defined environmental regulatory framework that is consistent across New Zealand”.