Freshwater Policy Won’t Stop Pollution
Forest & Bird today welcomed the government’s announcements on freshwater management but said an opportunity had been missed to
set clear national objectives for water quality.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to give a stronger national focus to the need to stop the decline in the quality
of our freshwater,” Forest & Bird Advocacy Manager Kevin Hackwell said.
“Unfortunately, the government has dropped the ball by missing the opportunity to set clear national objectives for
water quality. This means we will be left with different standards in the regions around New Zealand.”
The government’s announcements follow last year’s report of the Land and Water Forum (LWF), a collaborative body set up
by the government to reach a consensus on improving the management of our freshwater resources. The LWF comprised about
60 organisations, including primary industry groups, environmental and recreational organisations, iwi and other parties
with an interest in freshwater and land management.
Kevin Hackwell was a trustee of the LWF and a member of the forum’s small group, which met regularly for a year to do
the detailed work in drawing up the recommended reforms.
The LWF travelled the country after it issued its report for a series of public meetings to discuss the report’s
recommendations, he said.
“The feedback that we got consistently in those meetings was that the public wants action to introduce consistent
national standards.”
“Clean freshwater is crucial to New Zealand’s environmental, social and economic wellbeing. Our national identity hinges
on our rivers, lakes and wetlands,” he said.
“But without clear national objectives to set water quality standards, we risk losing our unique freshwater
biodiversity, and our children may no longer be able to swim and fish in our rivers and lakes. We should also never
forget how much our economy relies on clean freshwater.”
ENDS