NZ's troubled waters debated at Aspiring Conversations

New Zealand's troubled waters debated at Aspiring Conversations

Competing demands on the country’s water resources caused a heated debate on the final morning of Aspiring Conversations. The panel of Tahu Potiki, a director of the Institute for Environmental and Science Research and of Ngai Tahu Tourism, joined economist Rod Oram and former president of Federated Farmers, Bruce Wills who were often at complete odds over the challenge of balancing economic and environmental factors.

Rod Oram challenged the very notion of the need for balance put forward by Bruce Wills, describing it as “fundamentally unreasonable… there is no economy without the environment.” Bruce Wills agreed that the dairy industry in particular needed to do better but emphasised the critical role it played in New Zealand’s national economy as well as “the huge investment and huge progress” already being made. In particular, he pointed out that 95% of all waterways on farmland were now protected by fencing.

Tahu Potiki outlined how Ngai Tahu worked with Otago Regional Council to address the current framework that is “not stringent enough; not enforceable enough”.He declared that the question of water rights and ownership was key. “It’s an issue of awareness but also of whose responsibility it is,” he said.

In a strongly worded but good-natured conclusion, Rod Oram responded to Bruce Wills’ earlier assertion that farming, fishing and forestry were all “totally renewable” by adding a fourth, expletive ‘F’ to the list adding that “time is desperately short” for positive environmental action.

In today’s other sessions literary father and daughter, CK Stead and Charlotte Grimshaw shared thoughts on their creative inspiration, influences and the art of writing a good review. They discussed how Charlotte became a writer after an early career in criminal law while her sister now works in publishing. “They tried to get away but they didn’t succeed,” said Karl Stead.

Writer, Kirsty Gunn and NZ Poet Laureate, Vincent O’Sullivan then discussed the idea of home especially in relation to the work of Katherine Mansfield and Kirsty Gunn’s recent book Thorndon: Wellington and Home, My Katherine Mansfield Project.

Damien Fenton began this year’s final session with an examination of the ANZACs’ role in Gallipoli. Drawing on his recent book New Zealand and the First World War, Mr Fenton explained that the bulk of a division reinforcing Turkish forces once the ANZACs had landed at Gallipoli were Arab conscripts from Aleppo in Syria. He moved on to the success of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in Palestine and their ignominious role in the Surafend Massacre of 1918.

Discussing current events in the Middle East he said the situation in Syria was “a very different set of circumstances” despite IS/Islamic State’s stated objective of recreating a Muslim Caliphate last abolished by Turkish nationalists in 1924. He felt regional powers needed Western force to give them cover.

ENDS

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