Healthy Rivers Plan Needs a Rethink

Healthy Rivers Plan Needs a Rethink

Federated Farmers is calling for the Healthy Rivers Wai Ora project in the Waikato to be put on hold.

This follows the Waikato Regional Council’s intention to withdraw 120,000 hectares from the original proposed Plan Change 1.

The decision was made after Hauraki iwi raised concerns around the consultation process.

As a result, an area of land of interest to iwi will be ‘partially withdrawn’ as a step towards future consultation with Hauraki iwi.

Federated Farmers’ Waikato vice President Andrew McGiven is disappointed with this latest development.

"We need to take a breath here and step back until the situation is sorted out and there’s more clarity. This is a mess quite frankly.

"Plan change 1 has been put together in a holistic and integrated way dealing with the whole catchment, and pulling an important part of it out undermines the integrity of the whole plan change," Mr McGiven said.

Federated Farmers' Waikato Provincial President Chris Lewis believes the regional council have an obligation to act in the interests of all Healthy River stakeholders.

"Clearly the Plan should be deferred now until they have consulted with Hauraki iwi," Mr Lewis said.

ENDS

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