Exploring the barriers to freshwater policy implementation in New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Freshwater policy is driven by interrelated challenges such as declining water quality, urban expansion, and agricultural intensification. But recent research indicates that implementation of policy is less successful than its development. Given recent innovations in New Zealand’s freshwater management and policy, this paper asks, What are the barriers to freshwater policy implementation in New Zealand? Data for this research were gathered through semi-structured interviews with key regional council and unitary authority employees. The research discovered several implementation barriers, such as low government and community capacity and difficulty aligning local policy with national policy. The paper argues that a closed loop between problem identification and responding to problems through planning slows the implementation of freshwater policy. In response, the paper offers a set of recommendations, designed for the New Zealand context, to enable more effective implementation of freshwater policy.

KEYWORDS:

• Freshwater policy
• freshwater management
• catchment management
• policy implementation
• New Zealand
• local government
• policy
• policy analysis

Notes

1. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed by the British Crown and Māori in 1840. This Treaty established the right of the Crown to govern; guaranteed Māori control of their own economic and other resources; and sought to ensure that Māori had the same rights as British citizens. Settlements have since been made with the Government over historical breaches of the Treaty.

2. Sediment has been included in the recently proposed amendments to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management.

3. Sections 30 and 31 of the RMA outline responsibilities for regional councils and territorial authorities. Section 30 of the RMA instructs regional councils to ‘control land use in regard to soil conservation, water quantity and quality, natural hazards and hazardous substances; control activities (excluding fishing) in coastal marine areas; control the take, use, damming, or diverting freshwater; as well as controlling the discharge of contaminants’ (Resource Management Act 1991, s.30). Section 31 of the RMA instructs territorial authorities to ‘control the effects of land use, development and protection, including natural hazards and hazardous substances; control land subdivision; control noise; and control the effects of activities on the surface of lakes and rivers’ (Resource Management Act 1991, s.31).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's Strategic Science Investment Fund (SSIF).