Freshwater
The Government's Fresh Start for Freshwater programme has implications for the resource sector, in terms of access to water quality and quantity.
Issues warranting careful attention are: dewatering from a mine, which entails a take of groundwater, often mineralised, which must then be treated before discharge; and obtaining water for exploration drilling programmes, including from over-allocated waterways at times of high flow.
During the development of this work programme, Straterra has been a member of the Land and Water Forum, which was created as a result of the Environmental Defence Society (EDS) conference in 2008.
This 60-member stakeholder group reported to the Government in late 2010 with 53 recommendations for the governance and management of freshwater in New Zealand. That report has been followed with a second report, in this case, on setting objectives for, and limits on freshwater quality and quantity, and on governance of freshwater. The report was submitted to Ministers in April 2012, and has yet to be released by the Government. The LAWF is due to report to the Government in September 2012 on allocation of water quality and quantity.
In May 2011 the Government gazetted the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. The purpose of the NPS is summarised in the Preamble: “This NPS sets out objectives and policies that direct local government to manage water in an integrated and sustainable way, while providing for economic growth within set water quantity and quality limits.”
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In 1952 when mining at Waihi, Coromandel, ceased for a period, the Ohinemuri Stream was lifeless, because of mining discharges to water. Today this is one of the top trout streams in the North Island of NZ, thanks to riparian conservation and managment by Newmont Waihi Gold Ltd. Water quality downstream of the mine is better than upstream of the mine.
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