Having your say

We are not relying on our own knowledge and experiences to decide how the well-being of freshwater is managed in the Horizons Region. We need the knowledge and experiences of people in our region to ensure what we do reflects the needs and values of our community.

This is why we want to hear from you. Engagement rounds will usually come with specific ways to provide feedback. However, you can have your say – both during, before and after engagement rounds – via our feedback form.

You can use the form to provide feedback during an engagement, let us know what we may have missed during previous engagements, and to share your thoughts regarding information on this website.

Our engagement approach

We have different engagement approaches to enable different groups – iwi/hapū, stakeholders and the wider community – to share their unique experiences with and perspectives of freshwater. We will weave their shared knowledge – mātauranga, science or other information – and experiences into our existing knowledge to create a plan to manage and care for freshwater.

Think of this approach like a braided river. Rivers start from a small source, but as they flow to the sea are fed by multiple smaller streams. All those sources build the strength of a river.

The braids of a river can appear to flow individually times, reflecting the unique views of different groups in our region. Those unique views and knowledge bases will require different forms of engagement, sometimes happening seemingly in isolation from each other.

However, we aim to bring together all those thoughts and engagements to create a strong vision of how to care for freshwater in our region, with all of us ultimately unified and moving in the same direction with the same goals.

Iwi/hapū and Treaty settlement legislation

We are working closely with iwi and hapū and having discussions at the same time as our wider engagement. We are also working with post-settlement entities to ensure our work aligns with strategies being developed  under Te Awa Tupua for the Whanganui River and Te Waiū-o-Te-Ika for the Whangaehu River.

We acknowledge our approach to implementing the freshwater reform must support Te Tiriti o Waitangi/the Treaty of Waitangi and must not be inconsistent with any treaty settlement legislation.

Previous engagements