The Tākaka Catchments relates to the area that will become the Tākaka Freshwater Management Unit (FMU). This includes catchments of the Tākaka River and its tributaries and the coastal catchments between Wainui Bay and Tukurua.
Tākaka Water Management Catchments.pdf (pdf 745 KB)
The Freshwater and Land Advisory Group (FLAG) was a collaborative community group supported by Council that reviewed freshwater management in the Catchments between 2014 and 2019. The FLAG provided their recommendations report to the Council at Onetahua marae on the 24 June 2019. The FLAG have requested their report be read in conjunction with the report by Manawhenua ki Mohua:
FLAG Recommendations Report - July 2019.pdf (pdf 2.8 MB)
Manawhenua Matauranga Report for the Tākaka Catchments - June 2019 (pdf 3.4 MB)
The Council adopted in-principle all but one of the FLAG’s recommendations at a Full Council meeting on the 21 May 2020. You can read the agenda and report here.(external link)
The FLAG recommendations are being used to inform development of a new freshwater regional plan for the Takaka Catchments.
The one FLAG recommendation not adopted by the Council related to stock exclusion, as this issue was to be covered by a separate national regulation. Subsequently national regulations under the RMA covering stock exclusion came into effect in August 2020. Read more about stock exclusion regulations.
Staff are progressing the Tākaka Catchments freshwater plan as part of the Tasman Land and Freshwater plan change and are working towards providing a draft of the plan change for public feedback in mid-2024.
This review was previously part of the whole-of-plan review to create the Tasman Environment Plan, however much of this work has been put on hold while we look at the implications of the Resource Management reform which will lead to a combined Tasman-Nelson plan. Get more information on this process.
The new land and freshwater plan will aim to meet Council's requirements to implement the 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM).(external link)
The new freshwater plan change will also reflect any Water Conservation Order made for Te Waikoropupū Springs (see below for further information).
To ask a question about this process, email Lisa McGlinchey, Principal Planner, Environmental Policy.
The Water Conservation Order (WCO) process is not a Council process. It is led by the Minister of the Environment. Further information is available on the Ministry’s website.
The WCO process is administered by the Environment Court. https://www.environmentcourt.govt.nz/cases-online/
We have welcomed the Water Conservation Order (WCO) for Te Waikoropupū Springs released by the Minister for the Environment.
The WCO reflects an agreement from all parties involved that the Springs are a very special waterbody and taonga for Mohua/Golden Bay, the Tasman region, and all of New Zealand.
We are now focused on ensuring the WCO can be implemented in a practical way to achieve the best outcomes for the Springs, the wider Tākaka Catchments, iwi and the community.
We are mindful that this decision and the required changes will affect everyone in the area covered by the WCO – the Wharepapa Arthur Marble Aquifer Recharge Area. This includes rural, residential and commercial areas.
We are committed to an independent review of the current monitoring programme in the Tākaka catchments to identify whether it continues to be fit for purpose and identify any gaps that need to be addressed under the WCO requirements. This review will also identify all costs to implement the order and how this should be funded, through Central Government or from ratepayers.
In our continuing commitment to improve freshwater management in the Tākaka Valley, we will strive to maintain the existing good water quality and health and improve where needed.
We are developing a new resource management plan for this catchment, which will ultimately implement the WCO alongside the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. Read more about the Land and Freshwater Plan Change process.
We are also progressing an Action Plan together with farmers and Manawhenua ki Mohua that will identify actions by the Council and all land and water users in the area to manage nitrates.
Since the Tākaka FLAG process, there have been a number of significant changes to national direction for freshwater management. In late 2019 central government signalled a revision to the 2017 NPS-FM and further freshwater direction which was subsequently provided in August 2020 through the Essential Freshwater package.
In July 2020 the Resource Management Act was amended requiring Councils to notify freshwater plans that implement the new 2020 National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management by December 2024 and specifies a new freshwater planning process that uses an independently appointed (Council-funded) hearing panel during development of all freshwater plans.
Further government direction on freshwater management is expected through 2022-2024, including new regulations for Freshwater Farm Plans, a revised National Environmental Standard (NES) for Human Sources of Drinking Water and amendments to the NES for Freshwater.
Further information is also available on the Ministry for the Environment’s website here.
The FLAG report includes a preamble and short executive summary with a list of the 34 FLAG recommendations.
The fundamental aims of the recommendations package are:
The FLAG recommendations cover:
FLAG have identified and defined eight key values of water in the Tākaka catchments and developed management objectives to guide decision making for development of water quantity and quality management (refer Section 6 of the FLAG recommendations report).
A recommended methodology for allocating water in the catchments, including minimum flows protected by cease take and rationing take triggers to protect instream ecology, and allocation limits (set to avoid flat-lining of rivers at the minimum flow) to provide water for abstractive uses, including community water supply.
Focusing on management of land use and land use practices and diffuse discharges, to ensure everyone undertaking activities that have risks to water quality are operating at least at good practice, and supporting and promoting waterbody and riparian vegetation restoration to improve ecosystem health.
The purpose of the group was to consider the existing and potential future water quantity and quality challenges in the Tākaka water management area and develop solutions for managing water allocation and the water quality effects of land use activities.
The FLAG was not a decision making group, but a community-led response to water management which has made recommendations to the Council to inform decisions on water management, including policy and rules in the Tasman Resource Management Plan and implementation of other approaches to water management.
Any decisions the Council makes on new policy and rules are subject to the Resource Management Act Schedule 1 process which enables everyone to make submissions on the changes proposed.
The Council’s Environment and Planning Committee selected the FLAG members from the nominations received from people with a significant interest in water management in the Tākaka area, and appointed representatives from the Council. In their selection, Council considered:
This July 2013 report presents an overview of the surface and groundwater resources, both quantity and quality, for the Tākaka Water Management Area.
The Council commissioned advice from an independent freshwater ecologist, Dr Roger Young, with the Cawthron Institute to provide advice on the aquatic ecological values of water bodies within the Tākaka catchments and make recommendations on setting of minimum flows and allocation limits that protect ecological values. These recommendations provided the basis for FLAG discussions of the allocation regimes in Tākaka. The report also summarises an investigation into nitrate coming from aquifer rock. The report can be viewed below.
In 2015, a panel of independent scientists from around New Zealand were commissioned to provide information to the FLAG on the water quality and ecosystem health of Te Waikoropupu Springs. This work was funded by DairyNZ, with staff time provided by Tasman District Council. The panel included:
The panel provided a report summarising the current data on water quality at the springs and recommending trigger values for key water quality attributes. The report can be viewed below.
Below are a number of information resources provided to the FLAG relating to the health and management of Te Waikoropupū Springs.
Optimised flow model for Arthur Marble Aquifer - Stewart and Thomas - March 2017.pdf (pdf 234 KB)
The nutrient status of Waikoropupu Springs - Stark Environmental - April 2015.pdf (pdf 1.6 MB)
Takaka Valley Groundwater Modelling Technical Investigations - Aqualinc - Dec 2017.pdf (pdf 16 MB)
Continuous Clarity Monitoring in Te Waikoropupu Springs - NIWA - April 2018.pdf (pdf 2.1 MB)
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