Three staged approach to freshwater

Horizons Regional Council’s strategy and policy committee has outlined a package of work around freshwater in the region.

The three staged approach includes progress towards updating nitrogen leaching numbers in the One Plan. This is based on updated versions of the model Overseer, used to estimate nitrogen leaching.

Proposed Plan Change 2 (PPC2) will see a recalibration of nitrogen leaching numbers in Horizons’ Regional Plan (the One Plan) Table 14.2 in response to Overseer improvements.

An evaluation of the policy for managing nutrients in the One Plan in 2017 demonstrated that a problem exists within the regulatory framework.

In addition to PPC2 and a Proposed Plan Change 3, Council will continue to review their approach to achieving better freshwater outcomes through collaborative catchment processes. This will include taking stock of progress with freshwater management to date and working with communities to determine what we do next to achieve the outcomes they seek.

Council will need to work within the frame set by a number of Treaty of Waitangi settlements concerning rivers. While this process will fulfil the requirements of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, Council recommends the resulting catchment plans be outcome-focused and includes non-regulatory initiatives.

To learn more about why the recalibration of nitrogen leaching numbers is needed click here.

To learn more about the modelling, attenuation and measurement of nitrogen click here.