Increased RMA powers and regulation of some intensive farming practices are included in sweeping plans to increase our freshwater quality announced by the Government.

The moves will result in markedly better water quality by 2023, Environment Minister David Parker promised.

Parker announced the suite of moves in Wellington on Monday, saying the country could not leave future generations to sort out water quality.

123RF The vast bulk of the changes are scheduled for 2020.

The headline moves include an amendment to the Resource Management Act (RMA) within 12 months that would allow councils to review consents in order to more quickly implement water quality standards.

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Further down the track are a new National Policy Statement on Freshwater Manager and new environmental standard by 2020.

These changes would aim to protect wetlands, estuaries, and regulate some activities such as intensive winter grazing and feedlots.

Another decision on the way would look at regulating nutrient allocation - usually from fertiliser and livestock urine.

Parker said the vast majority of the country wanted our freshwater quality to improve.

TOM LEE/STUFF Environment Minister David Parker is promising an increase in water quality within five years.

"Clean water is our birthright. Local rivers and lakes should be clean enough for our children to swim in, and put their head under, without getting crook," Parker said.

"As a nation we have been kicking the can down the road on this issue for far too long."

"New Zealanders value our rivers and lakes. More than 80 per cent are committed to improving water quality for the benefit of future generations and they want central and local government, farmers and businesses to do more."

"There will be a focus on at-risk catchments so as to halt the decline. We're not going to leave the hard issues for future generations."

The work programme includes three separate working groups: Kahui Wai Māori to include a Māori voice, a Freshwater Leaders Group chaired by Synlait Milk founder John Penno, and a science group that includes crusading scientist Mike Joy.

The Freshwater Leaders Group is not made up of industry representatives as these groups often are, but land users who are also experts.

Parker said he had asked the National Land and Water Forum to look at this issue after coming to Government, but they had not been able to overcome differences between different industry groups represented at the forum. This showed the "limits of the collaborative process" and it was now up to Government to act.

He underlined this point by noting it would "not be a talk fest."

Crown/Māori relations Minister Kelvin Davis said the Government would work with Māori on the plan.

Notably, the plans do not include a levy on water, which was Labour's election policy.

"We are committed to a substantive discussion on how to address Māori interests, by taking practical steps to address constraints on Māori land development," Davis said.

Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said many in the farming industry were already working to improve practices.

"Many in the sector are already working hard to protect the natural resources they depend on, and recognise the importance of enhancing our reputation as a trusted producer of the finest food and fibre products."

But Parker was clear that farmers were a big a part of the problem, and stronger rules were needed.

He said that in some areas 95 per cent of farms are said to be compliant with council rules, but problems were still widespread.

Parker noted that some of the worst pollution was in the one or two percent of waterways in urban areas, however.

O'Connor said the industry software that tracks nutrients - Overseer - would need to be improved so farmers had the right tools for the challenge.

'VAGUE THREATS' - NATIONAL

National Party environment spokesman Scott Simpson said while National wanted better waterways too Parker hadn't really proposed anything concrete, but had made "vague threats" to farmers.

"It's underwhelming, to be honest," Simpson said.

"We all agree that we would like our freshwater quality to be improving but this announcement today is long on warm intent and short on action."

Simpson said National's moves in Government had already seen improvements in water quality, although the report he pointed to to show this has been heavily criticised by scientists.

"National put in place a robust plan for improving freshwater quality funding to assist in the cost of achieving it. Our National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management introduced a new requirement for our rivers and lakes to be suitable for swimming within a generation and established a system for monitoring and reporting."

Parker's goal is to have a lot more rivers swimmable by 2023, and all rivers on a trajectory towards it.

Simpson said the Government should be telling farmers what the rule changes might be now, as they had had plenty of time to work them out already.

Federated Farmers water and environment spokesperson Chris Allen asked the Government to use an "even hand".

"Kiwis don't tolerate inequity. Implementing any changes to water policy will require the government to take the entire community along with it."

Allen said the 2023 goal was "challenging".

"It's going to be a big challenge for those groups that are handpicked to be part of those advisory groups," Allen said.

Federated Farmers was opposed to an allocation model of nutrient discharges, one of the main ideas in the policy, as this would interfere with property rights.

Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Gen Toop said the plan was "a start" but the Government should move more quickly to ban new dairy farms and further intensification."

"There are already too many cows for our waterways to cope with. Yet there are new dairy farms being built and existing farms are still adding more cows," Toop said.

Parker said that cow numbers had "peaked" a few years ago and Allen said that while some areas could see more cows, there were areas that were at a limit of what the environment could sustain.

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson said her party was happy to finally see some movement after campaigning on the issue for years.

She said the policy would not have happened without the Greens in Government, and pointed to another win for the party - the Government's decision to stop subsidising large-scale agricultural irrigation.

Local Government NZ's regional head Rachel Reese welcomed the work programme.

"We've long known the changes that are needed to make real progress, which is why we're so pleased that the Government has been open to our regulatory ideas around freshwater management," Reese said.

"This is a great example of how central government, as a policy making body, and local government, as the implementer of policy, can work together to tackle complex legacy problems like the freshwater challenge in New Zealand."

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