In a letter to the Chief Executive of Natural Resource Wales, the Environment and Sustainability Committee concludes that 'confusion' exists within NRW about its purpose and there is a 'lack of awareness at the top of NRW of how it is perceived on the ground by key stakeholders and staff'.
The Committee believes that many of the other issues it raises in its letter relate to this lack of clarity about NRW's purpose.
Alun Ffred Jones AM Chair of the Committee said:
"These are serious concerns. We would have expected NRW to be in a better place two-years in from the merger. We heard of some positive developments, but many stakeholders reported experiences that suggest the need for significant improvement in a wide range of areas.
"If improvements are made now then many of the issues that have contributed to stakeholder concerns and low staff moral can be addressed. But these concerns cannot be ignored and must be dealt with rapidly."
Other issues raised in the Committee's letter include concerns about:
- Internal communication between senior management and staff on the ground
- Inconsistency of advice and customer support
- NRW's approach to the Third Sector
- Transparency and independence from the Welsh Government
- Comments made by the Chair of NRW in relation to the predecessor bodies.