The consultation period for Ministry for the Environment’s Action for healthy waterways, officially closed on 31st October and according to MfE, around 17,500 submissions have been received.
To read WIC’s submission, click on the following link WIC Submission to the Action for Healthy Waterways
The next steps are as follows;
- MfE will provide a summary of submissions to Ministers to inform their decision making.
- An Independent Advisory Panel will review all submissions. This panel was appointed by Environment Minister David Parker and is chaired by retired Principal Environment Court Judge David Sheppard. The panel is not at this stage intending to meet any submitters, unless it has specific questions. The panel is expected to provide recommendations to Ministers early next year on content and specific wording of the regulations.
- The Ministry for the Environment and the Ministry for Primary Industries will also provide advice to Ministers on feedback on the proposals from meetings and submissions, as well as options Ministers may want to consider.
- Ministers are expected to make decisions on the final shape of new freshwater regulations in the first half of next year, with a view to having the regulations in force by mid-year.
- Once decisions have been reached, the summary of submissions and individual submissions will be made public on the MfE consultation web page.