On 8 July 2022, Property Council submitted on the exposure draft of proposed changes to the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) and National Environmental Standards for Freshwater (NES-F).
Why this matters to our members
The NPS-FM and the NES-F provide direction for the management of freshwater and set regulations for activities that pose risks to freshwater and freshwater ecosystems including development.
Our view
We supported the proposed amendments to the natural wetland definition as it is currently too narrow and creates unintended consequences for developments across New Zealand. We also supported the inclusion of a new consenting pathway for urban development. The lack of such a pathway currently, has seen several projects negatively impacted as resource consents have not been able to be sought for them.