By Maia Hart
Marlborough District Council has backed an initiative that will involve Te Tauihu iwi in the management of freshwater.
The Te Hoiere/Pelorus Catchment Restoration Project is one example of a collaborative approach to freshwater management under way in the top of the south. Photo: Stuff / Scott Hammond / Supplied
It comes after iwi representatives last month presented a report to Tasman, Nelson and Marlborough district councils (MDC), calling for a holistic approach to the future of freshwater management.
The National Policy Statement (NPS) for Freshwater Management 2020 required councils to manage freshwater under Te Mana o te Wai.
It meant every council must actively involve tangata whenua in decision-making around freshwater management, including identifying long-term visions, and enabling systems such as mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) to water management.
The council last week made provision for $50,000 per annum for the next three financial years to assist in putting Te Mana o te Wai into practice. This was subject to approval following annual plan hearings.
A report prepared on the budget said $30,000 of the $50,000 was intended for "stage two" of the project - which would co-design a planning framework to give effect to Te Mana o te Wai across Te Tauihu.
In presenting the report, MDC environmental policy manager Pere Hawes said he understood funding would be matched by Nelson District Council and Tasman District Council.
Hawes said there was extra funding budgeted, because Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Toa were not currently part of the Te Tauihu initiative and there could be a requirement to separately partner with them.
"The door is always open for those iwi to join the initiative, let's hope they do," Hawes said.
Marlborough Mayor John Leggett asked if approving the funding was conditional on Tasman and Nelson making a funding contribution.
Marlborough District Council environmental policy manager Pere Hawes. Photo: Stuff / Ricky Wilson / Supplied
But Hawes said he had not included that condition because he thought the council needed to "act in good faith" and make a commitment to Te Tauihu iwi, regardless of what Nelson and Tasman councils chose to do.
"My understanding is it is going to be matched by the other councils, but if it's not, I still think it's appropriate for council to make that contribution," he said.
Councillor Mark Peters agreed, saying the council unanimously supported Te Mana o te Wai when it was presented to the Planning and Finance committee the week before.
"It would not be the proper thing to do, to now not put our money where our mouth is," Peters said.
Councillor David Croad asked for confirmation that in supporting phase two, that it was "money well spent" and not a double-up on other work.
Hawes said it "absolutely" was money well spent.
"In the NPS, for example, in our plan we have to identify the cultural values of those freshwater bodies," he said.
"Those values aren't currently identified, so this work will allow that to be populated.
"We've got to protect mahinga kai (natural resource), at the moment we don't know where that mahinga kai is to protect. So it's critical information that complements the rest of the work programme."
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
