Water management in New Zealand: a road map for understanding water value

This paper has been prepared as part of NZIER’s public good programme to provide independent advice on water policy. We explore the current and expected future challenges facing water management, and review the history of water policy in New Zealand. We note that there is a broad consensus that the current approach under the Resource Management Act is flawed, and there is momentum to develop a multi-faceted framework that examines those challenges to assist stakeholders in thinking about what needs to be done for freshwater policy.