Frequently asked questions (FAQ) and infosheets - Proposed Plan Change 1

Proposed Plan Change 1

The content of the following factsheets relates to the decisions version of plan change 1, which was notified - with minor edits - on Wednesday, 22 April 2020.

FAQs related to decisions version of Plan Change 1

Additional background information relating to Plan Change 1

This document explains Variation1 to Proposed Plan Change 1 [PDF, 318 KB]
You can find out more information here About the Proposed Plan Change 1 [PDF, 209 KB].
Topics discussed here are:
- who developed the plan change
- what areas are affected
- how will the plan change improve water quality
- what are limits and targets
- will everyone need a resource consent
- will stock be allowed on steep land
- what about the rest of the region
- what are the economic impacts
- will it affect my rates
- what about work already done
- what will urban areas have to do
- what else is council doing for water quality
Read the frequently asked questions about the Waikato and Waipā rivers [PDF, 441 KB]
Topics discussed are:
- how clean are the rivers
- What is water quality
- Is water quality getting worse
- What contaminants are in the rivers
- Where do contaminants come from
- Is there anything else being done to protect the rivers
- Is it safe to swim
- Do the dams affect the Waikato river
- What will happen if nothing is done
- What is the effect of waterbirds
- How does council assess health of rivers
- What is riparian management
- Are there native fish in the rivers
Read the frequently asked questions about Economic Impact [PDF, 229 KB]
Topics discussed are:
- what is the expected cost
- how did the CSG arrive at this amount?
- what were all of the models/scenarios considered
- what model/scenario was used
- what regional and social impacts were considered?
- what has already been done
- what investment has been made into waste water
Read the frequently asked questions about Developing The Proposed Plan Change [PDF, 151 KB]
Topics discussed are:
- why are changes needed
- who developed the plan
- how was the CSG advised
- how did the CSG consult with their sectors
- why is there a variation
- what are the next steps

Infosheets used by CSG

Title	Description
Attributes [PDF, 299 KB]	What attributes are, why they are needed, and the attributes the Collaborative Stakeholder Group has selected.
Coastal marine area of the Waikato and Waipā river catchments [PDF, 517 KB]	What the coastal marine area is and why it is outside the scope of Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora.
Faecal source DNA tracking study [PDF, 242 KB]	Results of a study to better understand sources of faecal matter in Waikato River tributaries.
Freshwater management units [PDF, 580 KB]	What freshwater management units (FMUs) are, why they are needed, and the FMUs the Collaborative Stakeholder Group has set.
Integrated assessment framework [PDF, 245 KB]	What the integrated assessment framework is and how it is used.
Lakes in the Waikato and Waipā river catchments [PDF, 168 KB]	Types of lakes in the catchments, their state and what is being done for them.
Macroinvertebrate Community Index [PDF, 245 KB]	What the Macroinvertebrate Community Index is, and how it applies to Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora.
Mātauranga Māori [PDF, 254 KB]	What Mātauranga Māori is and its importance to Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora.
Nutrients and floating algae in the Waikato River [PDF, 244 KB]	Information about a number of studies on the relationships between nitrogen, phosphorous and floating algae.
Scenario modelling [PDF, 175 KB]	What scenario modelling is and its role in Healthy Rivers/Wai Ora.
Toolbox of mitigations in scenario modelling [PDF, 253 KB]	Mitigations used in scenario modelling.

Fonterra Nitrogen Risk Scorecard
Further information on the Fonterra Nitrogen Risk Scorecard:
Nitrogen Risk Scorecard manual [PDF, 2.7 MB]
Nitrogen Risk Scorecard calculations [PDF, 777 KB]
These documents provide information on the Fonterra Nitrogen Risk Scorecard. These document are not referred to in Proposed Plan Change 1.
Note: These documents have been provided by Fonterra and any interpretation of the Plan provisions in the documents has been made by Fonterra and does not represent the view of Council.