60018 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for the Environment

60018 (2024). Lan Pham to the Minister for the Environment: What advice, if any, has the Minister received on how the reduction of funding in the budget for freshwater improvement has impacted the quality of waterways?

Hon Penny Simmonds: No advice has been provided since the Budget 2024 announcements, where the impacts are expected to be minimal as the freshwater cost savings of $23.6m was limited to administration and un-contracted cost savings. This included $10.6m in administration savings from the Jobs for Nature Secretariat and freshwater investments work programme. An additional $13.0m in un-contracted savings came from the Essential Freshwater Fund, where funding envelopes for three initiatives were reduced: 1) supporting the establishment of the Freshwater Farm Plan Systems (-$4.9m), leaving $17.6 million for implementation; 2) Pukekohe integrated catchment management plan ($-3.6m), leaving $5.6m for implementation; and 3) Tangata whenua capability building ($-4.5m), cancelling the programme before it started.