Environment Bay of Plenty has developed a Regional Water and Land Plan (RWLP) to integrate the management of land and water resources in the Region.  Once operative, the RWLP will supersede the current Regional Land Management Plan, which contains provisions to manage land resources in the region.   

The development of the RWLP has a number of advantages, including;

• Integrating the management of land and water resources in the Bay of Plenty region, and addressing the effects of activities either or both land and water resources. 
• Moving towards fewer, user-friendly regional plans.

The resources covered by the RWLP are;

• Soil (land) resources
• Rivers and streams
• Lakes
• Wetlands
• Groundwater
• Geothermal resources (excluding the area covered by the Rotorua Geothermal Regional Plan)

The aims of the RWLP are to:

• Promote the sustainable management of land, water and geothermal resources.
• Achieve the integrated management of land, water and geothermal resources.
• Maintain or improve environmental quality in the Bay of Plenty region.
• Protect existing high quality environments, and sensitive receiving environments. 
• Sustain the life-supporting capacity of soil, water and ecosystems.
• Maintain or enhance the ecological, Maori cultural, recreational, natural character and landscape values of land, water and geothermal resources.
• Establish appropriate environmental standards to achieve environmental aims.
• Address the adverse environmental effects of the use and development of land, water and geothermal resources.
• Allow for the use and development of land, water and geothermal resources where it is consistent environmental aims.
• Enable people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural wellbeing, while achieving environmental aims. 
• Work with communities to promote community participation and interest in the management of natural and physical resources in the Bay of Plenty region.