Time for Clean Streams Accord ‘mark II’ [Fish & Game NZ]

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Fish & Game NZ says the dairy industry’s continued lack of progress towards meeting the environmental targets set out in the Clean Streams Accord means it’s time to start afresh.

The latest annual report of the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord summarises only small improvements in several targets, no significant overall improvement in compliance by dairy farmers, and huge variability between regions in achieving compliance with effluent application.

“It is time for a new Accord because after eight years this one clearly isn’t working,” says Fish & Game spokesman Neil Deans. “The Accord states an admirable objective to ‘reduce the impacts of dairying on the quality of New Zealand’s streams, rivers, lakes, groundwater and wetlands’.

“But the dairy industry is still failing on that front. It’s hardly surprising then that achievement in terms of reducing the sector’s impact on water quality isn’t measured, or that the goal hasn’t even been mentioned in the Annual Report for the last couple of years,” says Mr Deans.

Most regional council and national NIWA data shows water quality in most dairying areas has not improved, and in fact continues to decline in many regions.

“Protection of wetlands under the Accord, for example, is woeful, as several regional councils have not yet identified their regionally significant wetlands after eight years, while only two have met the 2005 target of 50% of these being fenced.”

Mr Deans says it will be interesting to see whether dairy companies adhere to their initiative of sanctions against repeated poor practice by suppliers.

“It was an admirable initiative, signalled in last year’s Accord annual report, but we’ll have to wait and see how effective this has been when next year’s report comes out.”

Mr Deans says many of the Accord targets are necessary but not sufficient – for example, the effectiveness of most on-farm nutrient management to maintain the quality of water bodies remains uncertain.

“Just having a nutrient budget does not confirm its implementation or effectiveness. Nor does merely keeping stock out of waterway – farmers must keep their livestock back from waterways and create proper riparian buffers.”

It is time to extend the current targets to cover the full range of dairying farming’s adverse environmental effects, and look at how to achieve the desired water quality in New Zealand’s rivers and streams, he says.

“Independent audit of self-reported compliance is essential Agreement of all parties, including the entire dairy sector and environmental interests, will be essential for future durable and consistent environmental protection.”

This may enable the dairy sector to attain its necessary environmental credentials which are lacking.

Fish & Game and the environmental sector looks forward to positive engagement with the dairy sector and government to develop a new Accord which truly meets New Zealand’s future needs, provides incentives for good environmental practice and sanctions for poor practice.

“We expect to be involved in the development of the new Accord shortly,” says Mr Deans.
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