389A   Conferral of water management functions on catchment management authorities

(1)  The Minister may authorise a catchment management authority to exercise the following functions:

(a)  assisting the Minister or a management committee in the development of, in consultations about or in the implementation of management plans,

(b)  managing licensed environmental water (within the meaning of section 8) under access licences,

(c)  monitoring water quality and other environmental health objectives of management plans (including in connection with a review or audit of any such plan).

(2)  A catchment management authority may, with the approval of the Minister, acquire, hold and deal with access licences.

(3)  This section does not limit section 389.