The Government has released a document, Essential Freshwater: Healthy Water, Fairly Allocated, which sets out its plans for freshwater action over the next two years.

The document says the three key objectives are to stop further degradation and loss, reverse past damage and address water allocation issues.

It says the Government will bring experts together to test policy options and provide advice on how to achieve the freshwater objectives.

“We acknowledge that Māori have rights and interests in freshwater, and we are committed to a substantive discussion on how to address these interests by taking practical steps to address constraints on Māori land development,” Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Minister Kelvin Davis says.

“Māori need fair access to water both to meet their aspirations and to enable the broader New Zealand economy to thrive. 

“Both Māori and the Crown are committed to water quality and ecosystem health, encapsulated in the concept of Te Mana o te Wai," he says.