Chapter 5: Water

5.4 Policies

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5.4.1 Water Management Framework

Policy 5-1: Water Management Zones* and Values

For the purposes of managing water^ quality, water^ quantity, and activities in the beds^ of rivers^ and lakes^, the catchments in the Region have been divided into Water Management Zones* and Water Management Sub-zones* in Schedule A.2 Groundwater has been divided into Groundwater Management Zones* in Schedule D.3

The rivers^ and lakes^ and their beds^ must be managed in a manner which safeguards their life supporting capacity and recognises and provides for the Schedule B Values when decisions are made on avoiding, remedying or mitigating the adverse effects^ of activities or in relation to any other function under the Resource Management Act 1991 exercised by the Regional Council or Territorial Authorities. The individual Values and their associated management objectives are set out in the Schedule B Surface Water^ Management Values Key and repeated in Table 5.2.

2    Schedule A is not a component of Part I - the Regional Policy Statement. It is a component of Part II - the Regional Plan.
3    Schedule D is not a component of Part I - the Regional Policy Statement. It is a component of Part II - the Regional Plan.


Table 5.2 Surface Water^ Management Values and Management Objectives
Value Group Individual Values Management Objective
Ecosystem Values NS Natural State The river^ and its bed^ are maintained in their natural state
LSC Life-supporting Capacity The water body^ and its bed^ support healthy aquatic life / ecosystems
SOS-A Sites of Significance – Aquatic Sites of significance for indigenous aquatic biodiversity are maintained or enhanced
SOS-R Sites of Significance – Riparian Sites of significance for indigenous riparian biodiversity are maintained or enhanced
IS Inanga Spawning The water body^ and its bed^ sustain healthy inanga spawning and egg development
WM Whitebait* Migration The water body^ and its bed^ are maintained or enhanced to provide safe passage of inwardly migrating juvenile native fish known collectively as whitebait*
Recreational and Cultural Values CR Contact Recreation The water body^ and its bed^ are suitable for contact recreation
AM Amenity The amenity values of the water body^ and its bed^ (and its margins where in public ownership) are maintained or enhanced
MAU Mauri* The mauri* of the water body^ and its bed^ is maintained or enhanced
SOS-C Sites of Significance - Cultural Sites of significance for cultural values are maintained
TF Trout Fishery The water body^ and its bed^ sustain healthy rainbow or brown trout fisheries
TS Trout Spawning The water body^ and its bed^ meet the requirements of rainbow and brown trout spawning and larval and fry development
AE Aesthetics The aesthetic values of the water body^ and its bed^ are maintained or enhanced
Water^ Use WS Water^ Supply The water^ is suitable, after treatment, as a drinking water^ source for human consumption
IA Industrial Abstraction The water^ is suitable as a water^ source for industrial abstraction or use, including for hydroelectricity generation+
I Irrigation The water^ is suitable as a water^ source for irrigation
SW Stockwater The water^ is suitable as a supply of drinking water^ for livestock
DFS Domestic Food Supply* The water^ is suitable for domestic food production
Social/ Economic Values CAP Capacity to Assimilate Pollution The capacity of a water body^ and its bed^ to assimilate pollution is not exceeded
FC/D Flood Control and Drainage The integrity of existing flood and river^ bank erosion protection structures^ and existing drainage structures^ is not compromised and the risks associated with flooding and erosion are managed sustainably
EI Existing Infrastructure^ The integrity of existing infrastructure^ is not compromised

+ Water Management Zones* and Water Management Sub-zones* throughout the Region (and particularly those with good head and flow available) may have potential for hydroelectricity generation. Further site*-specific assessment will be needed to establish the locations where such potential may be realised while having regard to the Schedule B Values of the relevant water bodies^ and their beds^.

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