PRESS RELEASE for immediate use, February 23, 2017
Water quality at the heart of healthy communities
The quality of New Zealand’s waterways and drinking water cannot be compromised and the health and wellbeing of people
in rural communities must not be put at risk, even in the short term, says New Zealand Rural General Practice Network
chairperson Sharon Hansen.
Ms Hansen was commenting following the recent (February 23) freshwater announcement by Environment Minister Nick Smith,
which set a target of 90 per cent of New Zealand’s lakes and rivers meeting swimmable water quality standards by 2040,
alongside releasing new policy, regulations, information maps and funding to help achieve the new goal.
“There is a clear and urgent need to have confidence in the safety of our fresh water systems, be they for drinking or
bathing, from a public health perspective, sooner than 2040. 23 years is simply too great a timeframe to get the water
quality up to a safe acceptable standard,” says Ms Hansen.
“We also understand that under revised standards in the Government’s Clean Water document, water that New Zealanders
will swim in will be riskier in terms of exposure to E. coli.
“Our communities insist their children are able to swim in a local water hole without fear of becoming ill and to know
they can turn on the tap and drink water without fear of becoming ill because the water source is contaminated.”
Fresh in people’s minds is the gastroenteritis outbreak in Havelock North (August 2016), which resulted in more than
5000 people falling ill, through the presence of E. coli in the water supply, says Ms Hansen.
“Whether it’s bathing, fishing or drinking, the quality of our rural waterways and water supplies cannot be compromised
by either bad practice, insufficient monitoring or standards of monitoring, or delayed action.
“This government’s water policy has been compromised by desire for economic growth rather than the long-term view on
environmental sustainability. With increasing evidence of climate change already heading out of control, New Zealand
should be leading the way in changing systems for everyone's future. Accepting second rate water quality standards
merely continues the behaviour of short term gains at the expense of our children's futures and New Zealand's
sustainability.”