1. Background

The discussion document proposed the introduction of an NES, with the aim of ensuring the accurate and comprehensive measurement of water takes to facilitate the sustainable management of New Zealand’s water resource. The specific objectives which the proposed NES seeks to achieve are to:

• ensure consistency at the national, regional and catchment levels for measuring and reporting actual water taken

• enable water users and regulators to easily determine compliance with water take consents

• provide accurate information about the actual water taken in any catchment

• ensure the comprehensive uptake of water-measuring devices in a cost-effective and timely way.

The proposed NES will achieve this by setting the minimum requirements for all new water-measuring devices installed, and by defining situations where water-measuring devices are compulsory.

National environmental standards are legally enforceable regulations under sections 43 and 44 of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA). The proposed NES constitutes a minimum standard, with regional councils retaining the authority to set more stringent requirements in their regional plans.

As part of finalising an NES, the Ministry for the Environment must supply a section 32 analysis and a regulatory impact analysis. To satisfy these requirements, the Ministry commissioned a cost−benefit analysis which:

• sets out, discusses and assesses the benefits and costs of the proposed NES and gives an indicative range of the likely present value of the benefits and costs

• apportions the costs to parties

• presents the assessment of costs and benefits in a final report.

The Ministry for the Environment commissioned Harris Consulting to undertake this analysis.