Otago Regional Council concerns about the direction of national freshwater management policy have not been allayed by meeting Land and Water Forum chairman Alastair Bisley.
Mr Bisley and others continued to struggle to understand how Otago's permitted activities worked in relation to compliance, chairman Stephen Woodhead told the recent natural resources committee meeting.
"We know it, the community understands it, but people outside Otago who are used to a prescriptive regime approach struggle to pick up how it works."
This was worrying given that it was apparent a national policy statement for fresh water was coming sooner rather than later, he said. The Land and Water Forum was a collaborative approach involving all those involved with water.
Cr Gretchen Robertson said the idea a region could have over-allocation of water resources yet still have strong environmental bottom lines in place was hard for some to understand.
"A lot of regions around the country are struggling to implement those environmental bottom lines."
Cr Gerry Eckhoff said it was a hugely political issue and the council needed to make very clear the success of its approach so it was not "undermined" by any approach the Government might take.
Chief executive Graeme Martin said Otago had been using a co-operative process for many years, which was why it was so far ahead.
But many "green" interests continued to believe it was impossible to have permitted activities and an enforcement process.
Over-allocation did not mean "dried out" as in the Australian sense, as for Otago over-allocation occurred above a base of protective measures, he said. The land and water forum report and its recommendations did not do any harm but it was what the Government did with those recommendations that could be the issue.
To make sure Otago's views were heard, the council was in the process of appointing an independent consultant to write a clear policy statement on water quality that could be provided to the Government and other councils and agencies as well as published in professional journals.
"From that we could pull out a short brief for the public and minister to read".
Cr Trevor Kempton said that in the last few minutes of the council's meeting with Mr Bisley, the "lights went on" and so the council should write to him to reinforce its message before he presented the feedback from the forum's consultation to the Government.
