Clean Streams Accord past its use-by date [Fish & Game NZ]
Fish & Game NZ says it’s time to look beyond the Clean Streams Accord which the latest MAF report shows is failing to deliver on environmental expectations.

“Over and above the Accord is the recent report of the Government’s much-heralded Land and Water Forum, comprised of all the big players in environmental management and natural resource use in New Zealand,” says Fish & Game chief executive and forum member Bryce Johnson.

“Fish & Game and the dairy industry are members of this forum, where it has been agreed by all the participants that ‘good management practices’ need to be required, with all stakeholders involved in the design and review,” he notes.

“The other key recommendation relevant here is that pastoral agriculture has committed to prioritise the requirement for ‘effective riparian management’. In other words, not just fence stock out of streams, but rather fence them back from streams so that the all-important riparian buffer zone can develop and filter out nutrients, sediment, and provide streamside shade, all of which increases biodiversity.”

The significance of these recommendations is that never before have the combined sectors of primary industry agreed to take this level of responsibility for cleaning up their act.

“In the past the agricultural sector has been resistant to acknowledging its adverse environmental effects, let alone committing to sit down with environmental and outdoor recreation groups to design best practice requirements and then jointly review their implementation and effectiveness.” Mr Johnson says.

“So the time is long overdue for this voluntary, Fonterra-only, and limited Accord to be upgraded to a mandatory requirement covering all of the known adverse environmental effects of dairy farming.”

ENDS

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