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Waikato Regional Council want to transfer its power to monitor water within the Lake Taupō catchment to the Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board.
Community and services director Neville Williams says it could be the first such transfer of powers, despite the ability to do so long being a part of the Resource Management Act.
Public consultation starts next week on the proposal to transfer summer bathing beach, regional rivers, rainfall and groundwater quality monitoring.
It followed a two-year search for suitable functions that could be transferred.
"Ultimately we landed on these ones. i think they're significant in respect to te mana o te wai, the ownership that Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board has of the lake and the tributaries running in and out of it and obviously the deep and long historic and spiritual relationship with Lake Taupō," Mr Williams says.
The transfer would bring efficiencies and potential financial benefits for the council, with council staff not required to travel to Taupō as regularly to monitor conditions, and faster response times if equipment is faulty or there’s a major incident.
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