11 September 2013

Draft water quality standards a licence to pollute

New Zealand needs robust standards for clean water, not permission for more pollution, the Green Party said today.

The Green Party was commenting on a leaked copy of draft National Water Objectives prepared by the Ministry for the Environment which would effectively set the bottom lines on water quality for our waterways.

“The Ministry’s draft water quality standards are weak and will not protect our rivers, streams and lakes. They will allow more water pollution and risk algal blooms becoming even more common in lowland rivers and streams,” said Green Party water spokesperson Eugenie Sage.

“If Environment Minister Amy Adams signs off these draft objectives she will be giving intensive agriculture and other land users a licence to pollute.”

Advice from water quality scientists is the draft objectives are also missing important measures needed to ensure healthy waterways. These include limits on both total nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to rivers, and a measure showing the health of aquatic invertebrate populations.

“The limits for periphyton are also too high and would allow a major increase in algal blooms,” Ms Sage said.

“The draft objectives are a long way from what we need to protect and improve the health of our rivers, lakes and streams. They risk more water pollution.

“A major overhaul of the draft objectives is needed if they are to be of any value in helping clean up our waterways and preventing water pollution getting worse”.

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