Freshwater groups folded as Govt pushes ahead

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The issue of freshwater management is bubbling away under the surface for the Labour-led government. Photo: Maddie Grieveson

Two groups charged by the last government with finding a solution to the freshwater management problem have been put on pause as the Labour-led coalition forges its own way ahead. Sam Sachdeva from Newsroom spoke to the groups’ chairs about their work, and the challenges in finding a way to resolve freshwater issues.

They say still waters run deep, and that’s almost certainly the case when it comes to freshwater management.

On the surface, the Labour-led government appears to have made little movement on the issue of water allocation, but there have been reports of strong disagreement between the various coalition parties on the best approach.

However, it’s clear the Government is striking its own way ahead, with two groups set up under its predecessor going on hold.

The freshwater allocation technical advisory group, established in 2016 to test the practicality of policy proposals, has quietly folded - having apparently never produced a report in its nearly two years of existence.

Environment Minister David Parker says the group has not been asked for any advice since he took office, with current policy work being led by Parker and his officials.