Issues Facing Waikato Regional Council in Managing Geothermal Resources

Abstract

Regional councils have been responsible for all aspects of the allocation and management of geothermal resources since the passage of the Resource Management Act 1991. For Waikato Regional Council ("Environment Waikato"), establishment of geothermal policy and its implementation via the resource consent process, is a continuing and evolving process and a number of issues have made that process challenging. These include: a lack of central government guidance and direct participation in policy and regulatory processes; giving practical meaning to the purpose of the Act, the "sustainable management" of geothermal resources; the difficulties faced in managing a resource which is only partially understood; and the limitations inherent in the consent process to achieve consistent, balanced outcomes.