Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

WATER
Our vision
Freshwater (surface and ground) is a common good, a precious public resource owned by
us all and belonging to none. It is a taonga of paramount importance to iwi. Water is also the
most vital component of New Zealand‟s biological production systems.
Labour stands for clean water. New Zealanders have a birthright to play and swim safely in
our streams, rivers and lakes. And access to safe drinking water is a basic human right.
Economic prosperity can and must be environmentally sustainable, and so must the use of
water. Our economic future relies on our clean, green image, and water is a key measure of
that. The health of our waterways is at the heart of how we promote ourselves to the world
and earn a premium for our exports.
Systems of water allocation and management vary throughout the country and often do not
encourage its best use. Labour will be guided by the Land and Water Forum in its 2010
report „A Fresh Start for Freshwater.‟ The Forum suggested the water resource should be
quantified and the flows needed for ecological, environmental and recreational purposes
determined.
Labour wants farmers and other major users to benefit from access to water, but they are
only stewards of the water, not owners. We support irrigation using water from sustainable
sources such as peak river flows, but all-year flows that meet environmental and recreational
needs must be retained. The damming of New Zealand‟s remaining wild and scenic rivers
cannot continue.
The management of our water must be overseen by publicly-elected, accountable
representatives, even where particular catchments are delegated to community-governed
arrangements. Labour will retain decision-making at local level through regional (or unitary)
councils, with central government playing a leadership role. Iwi, the public and water users
must be involved in these processes.
A fair price, in the form of a resource rental, should be charged to major users of water. This
would be both an economic and environmental tool that would encourage wise use of water.
Revenue from the resource rental would go towards funding water management and
delivery, new storage and irrigation schemes, safe rural drinking water supplies, and projects
such as the restoration of degraded waterways.
Under Labour, water management will be underpinned by strong environmental standards
and a strengthened National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management. Regional
councils will set clear and enforceable limits on nutrient levels. Those who fail to manage
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