Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

TANK Group to advise on water management

Media Release

5 December 2012

TANK Group to advise on water management

A group tasked with developing consensus for managing catchments in some of the most productive and developed areas of Hawke’s Bay continues to make steady progress.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council recently convened a group of community members to make recommendations on a plan change for the Greater Heretaunga and Ahuriri catchment area. The ‘TANK’ group (an acronym for the Tutaekuri, Ahuriri, Ngaruroro and Karamu river catchments) is made up of approximately 30 individuals from agricultural and horticultural sectors, environmental and community interest groups and tangata whenua. The group works alongside researchers and facilitators from the Cawthron Institute and Landcare Research.

The group’s second meeting was held recently in Hastings as part of a year-long collaborative process of consensus building for water management in the area.

A large number of water permits in the Greater Heretaunga and Ahuriri catchment area are expiring in 2015 and shortly thereafter, and HBRC expects most permit holders to apply for new consents. HBRC intends to amend its Regional Resource Management Plan to confirm allocation limits and water quality targets to provide clear guidance for assessing consent applications.

HBRC Chairman Fenton Wilson says the council was trialling a collaborative process for setting objectives and limits for freshwater, in line with recommendations from the national Land and Water Forum.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“We’ve given a good faith undertaking to implement any consensus outcome agreed by the TANK Group, if one emerges, as long as it is consistent with higher level documents such as the Resource Management Act and the Hawke’s Bay Land and Water Management Strategy,” he says.

“If this works well, I can see us making more use of collaborative processes in the future.”

At the second meeting, TANK members heard science presentations from HBRC staff about the region’s hydrology and geological setting, as well as some of the management issues throughout the catchments and the near-coastal zone.

A further five meetings have been scheduled for the group, and participants also meet informally to discuss their own values and objectives for water management in the catchments. Valuable insights have already been obtained, and it is hoped that by bringing individual stakeholders together, many of whom are also networking with the wider community; a common vision for water management in the catchment might be built.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.