5618 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for the Environment

5618 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for the Environment: What costs, if any, does the Minister expect to be imposed on regional councils if they notify their freshwater plans prior to 2027?

Hon Penny Simmonds: If regional councils notify freshwater plans prior to this Government’s replacement for the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management 2020, they will be required to amend these plans to give effect to the new National Policy Statement. This would come with a cost and could result in duplication of work. The scale of the cost will vary across councils, how much change is needed, and where they are in their planning process.