Aotearoa New Zealand Catchment Communities (ANZCC)

Next Steps for Catchment Groups and Councils will be to find alignment on how to work together better...... Here' is an extract from Going with the Grain from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment May 2024: ..............Is it Time To? 1.       Seek Alignment and Define Roles: Where catchment groups are established, regional councils need to work with catchment groups and consider, where appropriate, devolving powers (and funding) to those groups. A key element of any decision to hand some powers to catchment groups is how those groups would be held accountable. What decisions can be left to the catchment group? What regulatory powers stay with the regional council? And what happens if the catchment group fails to deliver? Taking a relational approach could be useful in this context. (PCE: going with the grain May 2024) 2.       A relational approach builds on strong relationships between the parties involved and would recognise the mutual reliance of regional councils and catchment groups in achieving environmental goals. Under this approach the degree of decision making that is devolved depends on the strength of the relationship and the capacity of the catchment group to deliver. A relational approach is a way of dealing with internal and external uncertainty and a way of making the most of shared goals and a desire to collaborate closely. This will require.... (1) Shared goal and outcome setting. Agreeing to the what (i.e. the desired environmental goals and outcomes) must be made clear from the outset. Central government needs to provide a framework for catchment groups and regional councils to collaborate and to ensure local self-interest does not take over. This framework may include information and process requirements and standards for environmental limits, and outcomes to be achieved. Within this framework, landowners, communities and mana whenua must ensure that the outcomes are realistic and achievable for their circumstances and specific contexts. (2) Action and implementation. The how is led and driven by landowners, local communities and mana whenua must ensure that the outcomes are realistic and achievable for their circumstances and specific contexts.

Catchment groups have proven they can be effective agents of change for developing and implementing community-led, place-based solutions across complex environmental and social challenges. The ANZCC formed to be the collective voice of catchment communities at a national level. As such, the ANZCC advocates for support for these groups to deliver the work required to address challenges such as freshwater quality, biodiversity loss, and climate impacts locally. Find out more at our website www.anzcc.org.nz.

Chair Ben Ensor caught up with Dom at Rural Exchange to chat about how catchment communities are helping solve wicked problems like freshwater quality, climate impact and biodiversity through with place-based, community-led approaches. Alison Dewes Brent Paterson Rick Burke

ANZCC's new Chair, Ben Ensor, speaks with Richard Rennie and Farmers Weekly NZ