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Updating regional fresh water rules

Changing regional policies and rules to manage freshwater better

Since 2020, Regional Council has been researching and engaging with hundreds of people about changes to how land and freshwater are managed to address freshwater issues in our region and implement the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPSFM).

Our six-month long community engagement period closed on 30 September 2023, and elected Councillors were about to consider releasing draft freshwater related changes to the Regional Policy Statement and Regional Natural Resources Plan (RNRP) for targeted feedback by the end of January 2024, before notifying changes formally in December 2024.

At a Strategy and Policy Committee meeting held on Tuesday 20 February 2024, Council decided to extend the timeframe for notifying proposed changes to September 2025 (from December 2024).  

Following that time, staff reset their work programme and were working towards releasing draft changes for approval for late 2024 for a period of informal feedback.

Progressing this work was based on the need for an updated plan change that considered:

  • Improved environmental outcomes based on the latest science
  • Providing certainty for water consent renewals in 2026 and, in some cases, improve water availability for development.
  • Streamlined plans to be simpler for water users

On 22 October this year, Central Government announced an amendment to the RMA to prevent Regional Councils notifying proposed regional plan changes for freshwater until the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 is replaced or 31 Dec 2025 (whichever is first).  There are some exemptions where a plan change may be appropriate, but these would need to be approved by the Minister for the Environment.

At a Council meeting held 10 December 2024, Councillors decided not to release a draft Regional Policy Statement and Regional Natural Resources Plan Change for Freshwater until after the NPS for Freshwater Management is gazetted in 2025, instead of releasing the drafts in November 2024. Four options were presented. Council agreed to Option 2 enabling staff to test topics informally with stakeholders and tangata whenua. Key topics endorsed by Council for topic testing: OSET (On-site effluent treatment), water quantity (surface and groundwater limit setting), managing contaminants from farming land use, and provisions enabling restoration. 

We still have issues to address – degraded estuaries, new science and information on how to manage freshwater better, potentially the ability to make more water available for use, the need for a streamlined plan to make consenting process easier and more than 600 consents which will be up for renewal in 2026.

We would like to thank the many people in our community, including tangata whenua, community groups, farmers, sector organisations and key stakeholders who have invested time into this plan process. We thank you for your patience and look forward to talking with you again in the future. 

fmu map

Please note: We’ve been incorporating new information into our assessments of water available for allocation as we’ve been working through the engagement process. As a result, there have been a small number of changes to our maps of allocation status (for streams) compared to those in the Freshwater Management Units Information Booklets (available below). We’ve also worked through the available science for groundwater allocation and revised our thinking about groundwater availability. More information on this will be available shortly.

Regional Council has been working on freshwater policy changes through the essential Freshwater Programme for quite some time – since Central Government introduced the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 (NPSFM) –  in response to growing water quality, availability and use issues across New Zealand.  

The freshwater policy changes are to be reflected through a Regional Policy Statement (RPS) and Regional Natural Resources Plan (RNRP) change. The NPSFM has changed several times since we started and is going to change again this year. This has slowed our progress, however, we continue to be focused on improving outcomes for freshwater and how we use it.  

Central Government is revisiting the NPSFM, national regulations for freshwater management and for Freshwater Farm Plans. It is indicated for a new NPSFM to land this year. As a result, Council decided it is best for the Bay of Plenty to delay draft RPS and RNRP plans and options for feedback until after Central Government has gazetted national changes, so that we can give effect to them as required.   

Changes to cultural values and concepts may include rebalancing of Te Mana o Te Wai and policy direction for mahinga kai . 

Engaging Maori on Essential Freshwater is guided by Te Hononga: Regional Māori Engagement Plan For Implementing the NPSFM (2020).  

Te Hononga recognises that iwi and hapū across the region have different interests, different levels of readiness, and varying ranges of capacity and capability to participate in planning processes. In response, a flexible approach is adopted, in which various options for involvement are made available, individually or in combination. We maintain an open invite for iwi, hapū and tangata whenua to engage with us on freshwater when they are ready to do so.  

For more information, please contact Kerry Brown at kerry.brown@boprc.govt.nz 

Community and stakeholder engagement

Since late 2021 we have been talking to the community about what freshwater areas are important to them and whether they are happy with their current states.  in 2022 we also ran online public engagement about long term vision and outcomes for freshwater. 

We’ve been discussing issues and draft options with tangata whenua and advisory panels.

In the first three months of 2023 we went along to community events to discuss what we were doing and how people could be involved.  During the following six months, we hosted engagement events across the region, inviting people to attend and provide feedback.  At least two in-person events were held for each of the 13 freshwater management units and for those areas where change may have a greater impact, we held additional events either in-person or online.

We are assessing all the feedback received as we continue to develop policy options.  We are now resetting our work programme and will ask our Council to approve a targeted release of draft changes later this year for a period of informal feedback. 

In 2025, anybody will be able to make formal submissions on the proposed plan changes and can be heard in front of an independent freshwater hearings panel.

Freshwater Futures Community groups

In 2015, we set up three community groups in the Rangitāiki, Kaituna/Maketū and Pongakawa/Waitahanui catchments to provide input and advice as we worked on implementing the earlier versions of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2014 and 2017). They helped us to identify local community values and desired outcomes for freshwater. They were starting to look at issues and solutions in their catchments.

While the work programme has changed, the input they provided is still valuable . We met with them again in April 2023 and will continue to engage with them as we work through the process. There are also several other community groups in the region with an interest in freshwater who we have been in touch with.

Regional and Environmental Sector Organisation Forum

This Forum has representatives of primary sector and environmental organisations. It provides early feedback and advice as we develop policy options for freshwater management. They help us to engage with their wider membership.

Territorial Local Authorities (TLA) Freshwater Collaboration Group

This group includes staff from each of the district and city councils in the Bay of Plenty region. We share information and promote collaboration on freshwater management issues, particularly relating to district/city functions like water supply, wastewater and stormwater networks.

Sign up to receive our Freshwater Flash e-newsletter.

To find out more:

Ministry for the Environment factsheets:

Action for healthy waterways – support and advice

Te Mana o te Wai: Ensuring the life-supporting capacity of freshwater

Resource Management Regulations

For further information please see the draft issues and options paper summaries below. Note these present draft options that are still being developed and assessed, not approved Bay of Plenty Regional Council policy positions. Full draft Issues and Options papers will be available shortly. 


Still have questions? Visit our freshwater information hub.

Freshwater Management Unit Community Drop-in events

Online workshops: Participants will be guided through the options that are being considered and feedback will be recorded. The workshop will be 90 mins in duration.
Registration is required with a minimum of 10 participants to proceed. Register at the links listed below: