Freshwater and coastal values
The National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) identifies four compulsory and nine optional values of water we must consider in Tasman, however communities can also identify other values they want to provide for.
The compulsory national values will be applied to all relevant freshwater bodies in Tasman. However, we need your feedback on which of the Optional National Values or any other addition values apply and where in Tasman.
We think that many of these values also could apply to our coastal environments - so we ask that you take the time to provide feedback on where these values apply in both our freshwater and our coastal environments in the map below by dropping the pins (or adding additional ones) in the places you think they apply.
Short descriptions of the values are below the map.
The national compulsory and optional values are summarised below and their full descriptions can be read in the NPS-FM.
Compulsory National Values:
- Ecosystem health – what waterbodies need to be healthy (water quality and quantity, habitat, aquatic life and ecological processes).
- Human contact – enabling safe water for swimming, boating and water sports.
- Threatened species – supporting their survival and recovery.
- Mahinga kai and kai moana – enabling gathering of food, tools, medicines and other resources.
Optional National Values:
- Natural form and character – protecting natural processes and biological, physical and visual characteristics of waterbodies.
- Drinking water supply – meeting peoples drinking water needs.
- Wai tapu – enabling water use for rituals and ceremonies and protecting valued features and unique properties of water.
- Transport and tauranga waka – providing for places to launch or land waka and boats.
- Fishing – supporting fisheries of species allowed to be caught and eaten.
- Hydro-electric power generation – enabling use of water for power generation.
- Animal drinking water – meeting the needs of farmed animals.
- Irrigation, cultivation, and production of food and beverages – supporting food production and non-food products or services.
- Commercial and industrial use – providing economic opportunities for people, businesses, tourism and industries.
Other additional values
Values can include things that are important to water and waterbody health, as well as how we feel about, connect with, and use freshwater and coastal environments. Some examples you might also like to consider are:
- Kaitiakitanga / stewardship – enabling guardianship of the environment by tangata whenua and communities.
- Native fish spawning – protecting habitats and spawning sites of native fish.
- Trout habitat and spawning – supporting habitats for trout and trout spawning.
- Natural state – protecting waterbodies in a natural or highly unmodified state.
- Drinking from nature – an aspiration to be able to drink water directly from its source.
- Navigation – enabling use of waterbodies for navigation, wayfaring and traditional or historic river trails.
- Aesthetics – waters valued for their sensory aspects e.g. appearance/sight, sound, smell, taste and feel.
- Public access – providing and maintaining areas in public ownership or with legal agreements so that they are accessible by the public.
- Infrastructure – providing for essential public and private infrastructure e.g. water supplies, pipelines, dams, roads, bridges, etc.
- Flooding and erosion management – providing for flood, erosion, drainage controls and river channel management.
- Education and research sites – enabling places where schools, or community groups can regularly access the water for educational and community monitoring purposes.
- Resilience to climate change – ensuring waterbodies and communities are resilient to the effects of climate change, including droughts, flooding and sea level rise.
