Hauiti Claudette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHauiti Claudette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 July 2013. Volume:692;Page:11969. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]4.CLAUDETTE HAUITI (National)to theMinister for the Environment: What recent announcements has the Government made to improve New Zealand’s freshwater management?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for the Environment):Yesterday with my colleague Nathan Guy I announced the Government’s decisions on the first stage of what will be the most comprehensive reform of freshwater management for many years. The announcement confirmed that a collaborative planning option for freshwater management will be created that legislative changes will be made to facilitate the introduction of a national objectives framework and that councils will be required toensure that iwi views are properly considered in freshwater planning. All these changes were key recommendations of the Land and Water Forum and received widespread support during our consultation on freshwater reforms earlier this year.Claudette Hauiti: What reports has the Minister seen of reactions to yesterday’s announcement?Hon AMY ADAMS: I have seen some very positive reports in relation to the announcements. I have seen them welcomed by many groups including Local Government New ZealandNgāiTahu the Environmental Defence Society and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. That consensus is testament to the successful collaboration project this Government created to improve freshwater management—the Land and Water Forum.Hon Maryan Street: In the context of that announcement why has she chosen to limit the right to appeal court decisions that might harm the environment and how does this square with her environmental protection responsibilities and the comparable rights that people have in other jurisdictions?Hon AMY ADAMS: Well I would just refer the member to the Land and Water Forum report which made it very clear that for collaborative projects to work there need to be the right incentives for the people sitting round the table to understand that the decisions are best made there not by trying to reserve a position and then coming around and appealing in any event. And I would note that the Environmental Defence Society specifically made the point yesterday in its comments of agreeing that in this situation taking that approach is entirely to use their word “kosher”.Te Ururoa Flavell:Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Kia oratātou. Does she believe that the rights and interests ofMāori as Treaty partners have been protected in freshwater management; if so how?Hon AMY ADAMS: Well I would say to the member that the rights and interests of iwi in freshwater management are a complex set of issues that have to be worked through and they will have many more iterations before we can say that we have completely resolved all issues but I am very confident that the changes we have made in respect of how iwi engage with freshwater planning have the support of a wide range of iwi are sensible will help clarify the arrangements and will ensure that the views of iwi are expressed properly and much earlier on in the process which is critical to having a more meaningful engagement.