26 August 2015

Tukituki Plan Change – a three year journey

HBRC Meeting 16 August 2015 - Agenda Item 14 (page 33)

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council today adopted the Tukituki Plan Change, concluding a three year process and paving the way for a comprehensive implementation plan to be delivered.

HBRC Chairman Fenton Wilson acknowledged the huge workload undertaken by staff and consultants to tackle the first of these plan change processes, under requirements of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM).

“In spite of the huge workload completed, including its consideration by the Environmental Protection Authority, we took the right approach to this proposal; our first plan change process in a Hawke’s Bay catchment,” says Chairman Fenton Wilson.

“I think there’s a general sense of relief to adopt the Tukituki Plan Change, and the real work starts now. We don’t underestimate the work ahead to support this plan on the ground,” adds Mr Wilson.

Tukituki Plan Change, also known as Plan Change 6, will be adopted into HBRC’s Regional Resource Management Plan and become operative on 1 October 2015. It was presented to Wednesday’s Council meeting by Strategic Development Group Manager Helen Codlin, whose team is responsible for delivering Plan and Policy changes.

“These are complex processes to work through,” says Ms Codlin.

“There’s no such thing as a perfect plan, but the process was robust and we now need to switch our focus to implementation.”

HBRC is working through a similarly complex proposal for the wider Heretaunga Plains, covering the Tūtaekuri, Ahuriri estuary, Ngaruroro River and Karamū Stream.

The first draft of an Implementation Plan for the Tukituki catchment will be presented to HBRC’s Regional Planning Committee meeting in September, as the focus shifts to monitoring, reporting and adapting while working closely with farmers, other landowners, iwi and support agencies.

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