13 September 2017

Media Release

Business applauds farming efforts to clean-up rivers – city-based politicians should too

The ambitious goal farming leaders have set to make New Zealand’s rivers swimmable for their children and grandchildren deserves widespread recognition and support – “especially from city-based politicians,” says Auckland Chamber of Commerce head, Michael Barnett.

“They should stop making environmental clean-up policies from the city without first checking out what is happening in the countryside.”

Over the past decade thousands of kilometers of river edges have been fenced off to prevent stock straying, and a wide range of changes made to farming best-practice.

“If we are going to be so demanding of farmers to clean up rivers and lakes, as the Greens have just announced, we should be equally demanding on ourselves to work harder to clean up our own backyard.

“As I have said previously, it is a disgrace that Auckland continues to allow raw sewerage to enter the Waitemata Harbour.”

The Farming Leaders’ Pledge campaign unveiled last month to accelerate efforts to improve rural river water quality, deserves to be matched by city councils and others with responsibility for the clean-up of our harbours and beaches, said Mr Barnett

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