Have Your Say on Freshwater
Council is holding several consultation periods for the public to have their say on the future of freshwater across the district. This engagement will take place through online surveys, public events, and meetings. Anyone can take part in the engagement surveys, and hardcopies will be available from council offices, libraries and at public events. If you are a community, commercial or industry group and would like a meeting, please e-mail us at freshwater@marlborough.govt.nz to arrange a place and time.
The first round of engagement was focused on Freshwater Management Units (FMUs). Submissions opened in December 2022 and closed 30 June 2023 (extended from the original close date in February 2023). The aim of this round was to find out how we value freshwater in our region and what aspirations we have for this water both now and into the future. The proposal was to divide Marlborough’s freshwater into six areas, which are grouped because they are a single catchment or group of catchments with similar characteristics. Results of the first round of engagement including full reporting is available on the “Summary of first round feedback” page of the website.
Go to the Summary of First Round Feedback page
The interactive GIS map, accessed via the link below, will allow you to explore the Marlborough region and find out more detailed information about the proposed FMUs, such as surface water monitoring sites, wetland locations, rainfall and much more.
The second round of community engagement was open from 3rd November to 15th December 2023. This round focused on what the public thought of the proposed visions, values and environmental outcomes for each FMU and checking in that we identified all the values that the community sees in these areas. Both rounds of community feedback will be used to guide freshwater management in the region.
Your opportunity to comment
The Government’s National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020 requires councils to identify, through community and tangata whenua engagement, the values, visions, and aspirations for freshwater in the region. The findings of this engagement will be used to guide freshwater management.
During the first and second round of submissions, Council provided the public with an online survey and map-based survey, as well as hardcopies of submission forms at Council offices and libraries. Public outreach included industry meetings, community meetings, library displays and activities for youth, and stalls at public events. Ways to make a submission and community meetings organised by Council were advertised in newspapers, social media and Antenno over both submission periods.
If you missed the first and second round of submissions or want to know more about the process and next steps, please contact us:
Policy Team
Freshwater Management
Marlborough District Council
15 Seymour Square
PO Box 443
Blenheim 7240
Email: freshwater@marlborough.govt.nz
The first and second rounds of community engagement included webinar presentations, both of which are available to view below.
The first-round webinar explains the Government’s freshwater rules and Council’s obligations under these rules. You can watch this below.
The second-round webinar provides a summary of the proposed freshwater values, visions, and environmental outcomes in each FMU. You can watch this below.
We will announce submission periods in the newspapers, Council’s Facebook page, Antenno and Marlborough Matters.
Timeline of public engagement
Council’s timeline for public engagement is currently under review given the recent three-year extension to the NPS-FM deadline, amended to 31 December 2027. This section will be updated as soon as council has an updated engagement timeline.
