Hon Nick Smith National Party Environment Spokesman Hon David Carter National Party Agriculture Spokesman
10 April 2006
Too little, too late on water strategy - Nats
The water strategy out today has too little action and too much waffle to address the serious issues facing New
Zealand's fresh water resources, say National's Environment spokesman Nick Smith and Agriculture spokesman David Carter.
"The only solid announcement in today's package is the establishment of a 'leadership group'," says Dr Smith.
"This is a pathetic outcome after three years and millions of dollars on the so-called 'Programme of Action'. It sounds
more like inaction.
"This package asks more questions than it answers. There is no commitment to tradable water rights - just talk of
exploring the concept. There is no answer on the future of water conservation orders. There are no proposals to reform
the Resource Management Act. The package does not address key issues like water storage, or serious threats posed by
Didymo."
Mr Carter says regional councils need more support and direction than the policy provides.
"We need clear national direction, not another dose of wordy waffle.
"We have lakes and rivers becoming putrid and unusable. We have huge growth in irrigation demand without the incentives
for more efficient water usage or storage.
"We need a far more robust package than this to ensure New Zealand's freshwater resources are wisely used and
effectively managed."
ENDS