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25 May 2021, 3:31 PM
Horizons Regional Council is seeking to understand how the community and tangata whenua value fresh water to help guide the future protection of this important resource.
The first round of public engagement starts today and will finish on Friday 2 July. Those who live, work, or play in the Horizons Region are welcome to share their thoughts through Social Pinpoint, email, or freepost. This feedback will inform Council’s implementation of central government’s National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) which came into effect on 3 September 2020. It provides regional councils with direction on how to manage freshwater and an opportunity to set a regional direction. Horizons’ policy and strategy manager Charlotte Almond says this engagement is intended to start building an understanding of what is most important for our communities and tangata whenua in relation to fresh water. “Everyone in Aotearoa has some kind of relationship to fresh water, whether that be recreational, spiritual, commercial or industrial. “It’s a resource we often take for granted and this policy gives the opportunity to really begin shaping how we look after it for our future generations,” says Ms Almond. “Feedback received from both our communities and iwi will also help to shape the collective vision for our region’s freshwater future. “Alongside this engagement we are also ensuring a decision-making partnership model with tangata whenua. “We may not see the change, but we must all be the change. By protecting the health and well-being of our freshwater we protect the health and well-being of our people and environments.” Social Pinpoint, our online community engagement platform, will be the main way to provide thoughts and values, however community members can also email info@ourfreshwaterfuture.nz or send a letter to freepost 217922, Private Bag 11025, Manawatū Mail Centre, Palmerston North 4414. Find more information on Our Freshwater Future here. Provide your thoughts on Social Pinpoint here