Southland's visions

These visions will express the community aspirations for freshwater, in order to help guide freshwater management. In 2022, we consulted with the community on these draft visions.

The visions provide a way of articulating how we will give effect to Te Mana o te Wai in our region. Te Mana o te Wai is a concept that puts the well-being and health of our rivers, lakes, aquifers and estuaries at the centre of how we manage our freshwater. In Southland, the concept is already at the heart of our proposed Southland Water and Land Plan.

Visions will form part of the updated Southland Regional Policy Statement, and will be notified as part of the change being made to the Southland Water and Land Plan.

Te Mana o te Wai Objective

To protect and restore, where degraded, the mauri of the waterbodies in the Southland Region, by:

(1) recognising the interconnectedness of land, fresh water and coastal waters and applying a ki uta ki tai, integrated management approach;

(2) working in partnership with Ngāi Tahu ki Murihiku and engaging with communities and other stakeholders,

(3) recognising and reflecting the principles of mātauranga, mana whakahaere, kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, governance, stewardship, care and respect; and

(4) applying the hierarchy of obligations that gives effect to Te Mana o te Wai as follows:

a. prioritising first the health and well-being of water bodies and freshwater ecosystems, te hauora o te wai and te hauora o te taiao;

b. affording second priority to the health and well-being needs of people, te hauora o te tangata, interacting with water through ingestion (such as drinking water and consuming harvested resources) and immersive activities (such as harvesting resources and bathing); and

c. thirdly prioritising the ability of people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being, now and into the future.

Freshwater Visions

Freshwater vision for Southland

Every freshwater management unit, including all lakes, rivers and streams, groundwater, springs and wetlands, nohoanga and mātaitai will achieve healthy resilience and a state of hauora within a generation (by 2045), and all waterbodies currently in a state of hauora shall be maintained for the benefit of current and future generations.

Fiordland and the Islands freshwater management unit

The waters of Fiordland Te Rua o te Moko and the offshore islands Ngā Moutere o Murihiku, lands, and coastal waters, will be maintained in a state of hauora and healthy resilience, to the fullest extent possible whilst acknowledging the operation of the Manapōuri Hydro-electric Generation Scheme. Any degraded areas will be identified and restored to a state of hauora, healthy resilience before 2040, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Waiau freshwater management unit

The waters of the Waiau catchment, Te Waewae Lagoon and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, to the fullest extent possible, for the benefit of current and future generations, whilst acknowledging the operation of Manapōuri Hydro-electric Generation Scheme.

The waters of the coastal catchment, both east and west of Te Waewae Lagoon, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, to the fullest extent possible, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Aparima freshwater management unit

The waters of Aparima catchment, Pourakino, waters flowing from Takitimu, Taramea Peninsula spring fed waterbodies, Jacobs River Estuary and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, to the fullest extent possible, for the benefit of current and future generations, whilst recognising the existing scale of degradation within Jacobs River Estuary.

The waters of the coastal catchment west of Jacobs River Estuary, including Lake George Ōruwera, Ōrepuki, and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.

The waters of Waimatuku and Taunamau catchments including the neighbouring Ōreti Beach mātaitai and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Ōreti freshwater management unit

The waters of Ōreti catchment, its eastern tributaries, New River Estuary and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience by 2045, to the fullest extent possible for the benefit of current and future generations, whilst recognising the existing scale of degradation within New River Estuary.

The waters of Awarua, including Awarua wetland complex, Awarua Bay and Bluff Harbour, estuaries and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Mataura freshwater management unit

The waters of the Matāura catchment, including Fortrose Toetoes Estuary and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.

The waters of the coastal catchment north of Fortrose Toetoes Estuary, including Tokanui, the Catlins, Waikawa, Tumu Toka, and coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience, by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.

Waituna freshwater management unit

The waters of Waituna catchment, Waituna Lagoon Waipārera and connected coastal waters, will be restored to a state of hauora and healthy resilience by 2045, for the benefit of current and future generations.