Agenda of Strategy and Policy Committee Workshop

Table of Contents

Public Workshop

1 UPDATE: Essential Freshwater Policy Programme 3

Public Excluded Workshop

The table below sets out the general subject of each paper to be considered while the public is excluded from the proceedings of this workshop, the reason for excluding the public, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for excluding the public:

Item No.	Subject of each paper to be considered	Reason for excluding the public in relation to each paper	Grounds under Section 48(1) for excluding the public	When the paper can be released into the public
2	RPS Change 6 (NPS-UD) - update on policy development and process	Withholding the information is necessary to maintain the effective conduct of public affairs through the free and frank expression of opinions by or between or to members or officers or employees of any local authority, or any persons to whom section 2(5) applies, in the course of their duty..	48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(f)(i).	On the Chief Executive's approval.
3	Ngā Waiariki o Rotorua - options for integrated management of the Rotorua Geothermal System		48(1)(a)(i) Section 7 (2)(f)(i).	On the Chief Executive's approval.

2 RPS Change 6 (NPS-UD) - update on policy development and process

Attachment 1 - RPS Change 6 - Key Principles and Scope - agreed at S&P Committee Workshopp 21 September 2021

Attachment 2 - Proposed Change 6 (NPS-UD) to the RPS Version 1.13

3 Ngā Waiariki o Rotorua - options for integrated management of the Rotorua Geothermal System


Informal Workshop Paper
To:	Strategy and Policy Committee Workshop
	29 March 2022
From:	Gemma Moleta, Senior Planner (Water Policy); Nicola Green, Principal Advisor, Policy & Planning and Reuben Gardiner, Senior Planner (Water Policy)
	Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science

UPDATE: Essential Freshwater Policy Programme

1. Purpose

To update the committee on progress towards implementing requirements of the NPSFM 2020. In particular, to demonstrate the tools that have been developed to share information with the community and engage online in April this year.

2. Guidance Sought from Councillors

Feedback is sought on the online engagement and information sharing tools presented today. We welcome all comments and thoughts that you have.

3. Discussion

3.1 Values and environmental outcomes from Participate Bay of Plenty

We have previously advised that online tools will be used to engage with the wider community on the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPSFM). Last year, we demonstrated the Participate page to help progress values and environmental outcomes under the NPSFM. This involved a community page and a separate invite only tangata whenua page. 273 pins were dropped on the map identifying a range of values that were important to members of the community. The majority of pins were associated with recreation/human contact values and 13% of spots were places where people were unhappy or very unhappy with the current state of the water. The tangata whenua page had one contribution and feedback was that iwi members preferred to provide input kanohi ki te kanohi.

3.2 Engagement on long-term visions for freshwater and environmental outcomes

Our next online engagement will be to help progress development of long-term visions for freshwater and environmental outcomes for freshwater management units. We will showcase our draft engagement pages on “Participate Bay of Plenty” at the workshop.

In addition to online engagement a letter and “example” visions were sent to tangata whenua in January inviting them to kōrerorero with staff regarding visions. This letter has led to a number of face-to-face engagements and a combined hui after the Rangitāiki River Forum on 4 March.

3.3 Water quality reporting tool

An online water quality reporting tool called WET has been launched to share information about water quality and ecosystem health monitoring current state, baseline state (as at 2017) and trends at long term water quality monitoring sites. This will be showcased at the workshop and can be found here. Water quality and ecosystem health must be maintained or improved compared to baseline state; or improved if it is below a national bottom line for any water quality attribute.

This is one way that we are starting to share information about pieces of the NPSFM implementation “puzzle” now, ahead of sharing and engaging on a more complete story about issues and options in Freshwater Management Units in 2023.

3.4 Kaupapa Māori engagement on long term vision for freshwater and environmental outcomes

As previously reported, letters were sent to iwi inviting their involvement in developing long term visions for freshwater in January and February 2022. Some key message so far include:

· Council has received 12 responses so far via email or direct phone calls.

· The majority of iwi and hapū we are talking to are keen to engage but are currently prioritising supporting their communities through COVID and will re-engage council when they are in a position to do so.

· In spite of the abovementioned point, staff have had approximately 20 engagements with iwi, hapū and co-governance groups on long term visions for freshwater. The focus on developing vision statements has proven catalytic in terms of iwi and hapū wanting to progress further involvement in NPSFM implementation.

· Of those co-governance and tangata whenua advisory groups that staff are working with to develop long term visions for freshwater, a key message is that the visions outlined in their key documents/strategies serve a different purpose than the visions required by the NPSFM. They seek council support to develop long term visions for freshwater that are more fit for purpose for policy development.

4. Next Steps

The Participate Bay of Plenty page for long term visions and environmental outcomes for freshwater will go live in April for a two month period.

The WET reporting tool will be launched and profiled in the next Freshwater Flash newsletter.

Staff will continue to work with iwi on development of long term visions for freshwater in parallel with advancing the rest of the Essential Freshwater Policy Programme.