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· National direction
on freshwater is currently subject to potentially significant change via
Government reform. The revised national direction may result in a more
centralised approach in some areas. Any local model needs to be able to
work alongside new national frameworks.
· There are a
number of existing community groups working together to achieve local
outcomes for freshwater, such as the Community Waterways Partnership and
Whaka-Ora Healthy Harbour. It is important any zone committee
replacement model works well with existing models of collaboration.
· The CMF review
of zone committees proposes local leadership groups which connect councils
and mana whenua to support collaborative and strategic freshwater
management. Water management is closely tied to cultural values,
environmental stewardship and the principles of kaitiakitanga. Mana whenua
have been part of the working group led by ECan and have fed into the process
directly.
· Staff experience
of zone committees is that they can add bureaucracy to genuine, non-complex
solutions to local freshwater issues. It is not clear how the proposed
local leadership group would avoid this concern.
· It is also not
clear how the local leadership groups’ work on priority-setting would
sit alongside existing priorities already formalised in Iwi Management Plans,
the Council’s Integrated Water Strategy, Stormwater Management Plans
and specific projects prioritised through long-term plans. Three Waters staff
can expand on this point at the briefing.
· Supporting zone
committee meetings was resource-intensive and challenging for our
Council’s secretariat staff. There were significant issues with
meetings failing for want of a quorum and in agenda-setting. Any new
model should include clear terms of reference setting out the purpose, scope,
membership and operation of the new groups, including a clear process for
secretariat support. Democracy Services staff can speak to this point
at the briefing.
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