Fonterra welcomes LAWF report

"The report recommends a much improved framework for the sustainable management of water which also takes into account the need for the productivity and economic growth which is so important to New Zealand's future," said Fonterra's managing director, cooperative Affairs, Todd Muller.

"We support the goals of combined decision making in catchments and continued improvement in water quality through better management practices. We also support the establishment of better defined rights around the taking and using of water within set limits."

Muller says Fonterra has valued being a member of the Land and Water Forum, which has enabled good working relationships to be established across a very diverse group of stakeholders.

"LAWF has done well to bring many different parties from all viewpoints around the table. It has been a challenging process at times, but the effort has been worth it and we remain committed to this sort of collaborative approach."

Fonterra supported the concept of land and water management being linked at regional catchment level, guided by national objectives. It was pleased to see the principles laid out in the reported for audited self-management as an alternative to regulation. This would still see progress made towards water quality goals.

"We also support the Forum's view that there was room for improvement in catchment-based regional planning, particularly processes which traditionally floated draft plans for consultation prior to them becoming locked into formalised processes.

"We agree the approaches of old have tended to divide stakeholders into 'for' and 'against' camps and have led to costly and lengthy debate. The forum's proposals around getting plans largely right first time, with any issues, trade-offs and options identified early on, would encourage the more collaborative approach which ultimately is in the best interests of local communities and New Zealand as a whole. Nobody says this will be easy, but we shouldn't let this get in the way of considering a new approach," says Muller.

Fonterra strongly supported the report's emphasis on good management practices as a basic tool for improving water quality.

"As the report notes, there is a raft of tools, techniques and approaches already available and they need to be further developed and incentivised."