MEDIA RELEASE
Friday January 21, 2005
National Protest At River Pollution
On Saturday morning January 22 representatives from Fish & Game New Zealand, The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society, Federated Mountain Clubs and the New Zealand
Recreational Canoeing Association will be placing signs by rivers around the country to raise awareness of the
contamination of New Zealand’s waterways.
The signs will say that the river is polluted and unsafe to swim in or drink water from.
Last year these four outdoor recreational and conservation organisations formed a coalition under the banner “Living
Rivers” to protect New Zealand rivers.
“New Zealanders have become complacent about our rivers and streams,” says Fish & Game spokesperson Neil Deans. “Yet, there is abundant evidence that our waterways are so full of pollutants that many
breach health safety standards and are unsafe to swim in or drink the water from. You cannot take your kids down to play
in the river this summer and feel they are safe from disease. This is a disgrace. Our waterway pollution is a critical
environmental issue that needs to be urgently addressed.”
In November the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Morgan Williams, released his report “Growing for
Good? The sustainability of intensive farming in New Zealand.” The Report said that rapid expansion in the use of
nitrogen fertilisers, increased stocking rates, and increased irrigation were threatening New Zealand’s soils and
freshwater. For example, urea fertiliser consumption had increased 160% between 1996-2002 . In the Waikato $63 million
of nitrogen is lost into the environment every year. The Report concluded that there is strong evidence that New Zealand
waterways are becoming nutrient enriched and degraded from animal faecal matter and nitrogen.
The Report is supported by recent reports from the National Institute of Water and Atmospherics (NIWA) that reveal the
extent of waterway contamination.
Says Kevin Hackwell Forest and Bird spokesperson: “The biodiversity of our waterways, which are the habitat of many fish
and bird species, is under threat. The current state of our waterways means that the rate of decline of species
populations and ranges will certainly increase. This will mean in some areas native freshwater species will disappear or
become extinct.”
“The Living Rivers Coalition wants,” says Kevin Hackwell, “to see the recommendations by the Parliamentary Commissioner
for the Environment in his Report -‘Growing for Good’ to redesign land use and farming systems to be implemented. We
also want to see more effective action on waterway pollution by central and local Government agencies. For example, the
Ministry for the Environment in its discussion document last year ‘Water Programme of Action’ did not even mention the
possibly that native freshwater species are likely to become extinct, nor did it mention our great braided rivers and
the threatened fish and birds that live in them”.
Says Hugh Canard of the Canoeing Association: “Twenty years ago visiting canoeists were absolutely stunned to see us
drink out of the water we were paddling on. Sadly, there are very few rivers that we can safely drink from today and
some rivers are even unfit to swim in which is a hazard for canoeists. Regional Councils are still unaware of the extent
of recreation in and on our rivers.”
John Wilson, President of Federated Mountain Clubs, which is a federation of 104 tramping and climbing clubs, said that
the tramping community recognised there was a need for more walking opportunities within easy reach of growing urban
populations, but the quality experience of riverside trails was degraded by river pollution. “The quality of setting is
paramount to the enjoyment of a walk or a tramp”, he says.
Says Neil Deans of Fish & Game: “Our rivers are a highly important part of our recreational culture, community and economy. They are part of what
it is to be a New Zealander. Yet, we take them for granted. Kiwis need to reflect that this summer, when they take their
kids down to local rivers to swim and play, they could well be doing so in contaminated water. This is something we
shouldn’t accept.”
ENDS