WRC Lake Taupo water quality monitoring transfer to Tuwharetoa Maori Trust Board Sept 2020

Waikato Regional Council to transfer specific Lake Taupō water quality monitoring functions to the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board.

30 July media release: ‘This proposal – a first of its kind in New Zealand, recognises the Trust Board's unique status as it holds legal title as trustee and acts as kaitiaki of Taupō Waters on behalf of Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Taupō Waters includes the bed, water column, air space, and designated portions of its tributaries and streams. 

In making their decision, councillors imposed a number of conditions which require the trust board to take positive action to work with landowners and to establish protocols to address access to private land. The transfer agreement must also include an annual review (by council) for the first two years and biennially thereafter.

A public hearing of submissions was held earlier this month following a one-month consultation period. Council chair Russ Rimmington said the proposal received support from the community, with 60 per cent of submissions in favour of the transfer, but noted concerns were raised by some of the submitters.

“The conditions we are imposing will mitigate their concerns and ensure the health and wellbeing of Lake Taupō remains a high priority at both a national and local level,” Cr Rimmington said.

“We have worked with the trust board over many years and recognise their ancestral relationship with Lake Taupō, their local knowledge and the technical skill and expertise they possess. Today’s landmark decision will create greater cost efficiencies and a streamlined delivery of water quality monitoring functions that will enhance both our monitoring programmes.”’

Background: Section 33 of the Resource Management Act (RMA) enables a local authority to transfer any one or more of its functions, powers or duties under the act to another public authority, except for the power of transfer itself.

  Section 33 is considered one of the ways of acknowledging the mana and cultural aspirations of the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board. While at the same time creating a more efficient and streamlined way of delivering with an iwi partner some of council's monitoring functions.

Council is proposing to transfer the following functions to the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board:

•         Summer bathing: Weekly collection of water samples at five summer bathing beach sites in Lake Taupō during the summer season (December to February inclusive).

•         Regional rivers: Monthly assessment on water quality at 16 regional rivers which are tributaries to Lake Taupō.

•         Rainfall: Six weekly rainfall monitoring at a single site on the western side of Lake Taupō.

•         Groundwater: Six monthly groundwater level and quality monitoring (April and October) at 40 sites in the Taupō catchment.

•         Groundwater: Biannual groundwater quality monitoring at two schools (Kuratau and Waitahanui).

  • Groundwater: Six weekly groundwater level measurements at 62 sites in the Taupō catchment.

The provision to transfer functions to an iwi authority has been an option since the RMA was enacted, almost three decades ago. If approved, Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board will become the first iwi authority in Aotearoa New Zealand to have functions transferred to them by a council.

The proposal will open for public consultation on Monday 8 June 2020 and close on Wednesday 8 July 2020. To read the proposal in full and to make a submission, visit waikatoregion.govt.nz/have-your-say.

 All feedback will be collated and presented to council, who will use it to determine a final decision on the functions proposed for transfer.

 We welcome any comment you wish to make. If you have any questions or would like the opportunity to meet with us in person to discuss this proposal, please let me know.

 Noho ora mai

Neville Williams

LWAG SUBMISSION - 8th July 2020

 Submission from Lakes & Waterways Action Group Trustt

 

Introduction

Lakes and Waterways Action Group Trust (LWAG) is a leading advocate for the protection of Lake Taupo, its waterways and other local catchment environments. (abridged)

Submission

LWAG offers support for the proposal to transfer specified Lake Taupō monitoring functions to Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board (TMTB). For iwi, this is an opportunity and should produces a positive outcome if monitoring is done correctly with appropriate quality control and mentoring from Waikato Regional Council (WRC).

However, we note that water-related data has been collected for many years in the catchment and we are vitally concerned that sample collection procedures do not impact on the quality of collected data.

Therefore, we request that the contract for monitoring between WRC and TMTB include:

  • Codification of quality standards for sampling and sample lodgement;

  • a review clause, which fits in with the timetabled reviews of the Lake Taupo Protection Project. Here, WRC could review data collected under the contract and compare with with historical data.  

  • an ’opt out clause’, with fair notification processes, where either party can review, revise or cancel the contract with good reason.

This data is vital for the Lake Taupo Protection Project. TMTB own ‘Taupo waters’, but does not own water over that area. LWAG is also concerned about a possible conflict of interest where an owner is also responsible for monitoring. We understand that this situation is not common in the Waikato Region. We seek reassurance from WRC and TMTB that this possible conflict of interest will not impact on the quality of data and the volume of data collected.

We would like to be heard.

Paul White,

Chairman, Lakes & Waterways Action Group Trust, Taupo       

Jane Penton