Our freshwater and coastal environments are special and important to each of us for a variety of different reasons.

Tasman District Council has an important management role for freshwater and our coastal environments on behalf of our community. Our work is guided by national direction, particularly the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) and the New Zealand Coastal Policy Statement (NZCPS).

New policy from central government means that it’s time for us to review how we manage Tasman’s water, from the mountains to the sea.

Identify what you value about our freshwater and coastal environments, your long-term visions for these areas, and things you think we need to do differently.

What we learn from you will help make a difference and inform development of the Tasman Environment Plan (TEP). For example, the TEP will need to include rules that direct water allocation, manage contaminant discharges, control coastal development, manage activities along waterbody margins and the coastal marine area, and ensure we adapt to climate change. As well as rules, we expect the Plan will have policies to promote restoration projects and support community resilience through water storage solutions and hydroelectricity.

Our approach needs to be based on what our communities and tangata whenua value in each part of the Tasman region.

1. Freshwater Management Units (FMUs) - how we have grouped freshwater catchments together for management
2. Your visions for our freshwater and coastal areas - how you would like them to be in the future
3. What you value in our freshwater and coastal environments and where these values apply
4. Activities that are putting pressure on our freshwater and coastal environments that we need to manage differently

Please fill out the questions we have for you on our FMU, Vision, Values and Pressures pages and show us where your values apply in Tasman on our interactive map. The feedback we receive on freshwater and coastal areas will inform development of different parts of the Tasman Environmental Plan so we'd appreciate if you filled out each of the sections.

If you have any other comments you would like to share, please email us at environmentplan.tasman.govt.nz

The Three Waters Reform is a separate workstream changing the way our drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services are delivered. The Mountains to the Sea discussion round is about Council’s responsibilities for managing our freshwater (rivers, lakes, aquifers) and coastal environments so they are healthy, and to provide for our desired values and uses of water. Your feedback will help us to set rules and requirements in the Tasman Environment Plan. The new plan will influence how infrastructure is managed to protect our freshwater and coastal environments. Find out more about three waters on our website here.

All feedback and submissions, including submitters' names, may be made available to Councillors and the public on our website, at Council offices and libraries. A summary of feedback and submissions may also be made publicly available and posted on the Council’s website. Learn more about it.