GOVERNMENT CRITICISED FOR LACK OF AMBITION IN CLEANING UP RIVERS AND LAKES
23 February 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The government is being criticised for not being ambitious enough in its just-announced plan to improve water quality in
the country’s rivers, lakes and streams.
The Prime Minister today unveiled the National-led government’s Clean Water plan, which aims to make 90% of New
Zealand’s rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040.
The cost of improving freshwater quality is estimated to cost two billion dollars.
Fish & Game is welcoming the government’s admission declining water quality is a problem and that it has finally committed
itself to addressing the issue.
But the statutory organisation says today’s action plan is long overdue and it will be decades before the goal outlined
today will be achieved.
Fish & Game’s chief executive Bryce Johnson wants more urgency.
“Under the government’s proposals, it will be nearly quarter of a century before it achieves its goal of New Zealanders
being able to swim in 90% of their rivers and lakes,” Mr Johnson says.
Mr Johnson says the government is also trying to fiddle the figures to make it seem like it is achieving its goal.
“Under the proposals, double the amount of faecal contamination will be allowed in waters classed as excellent for
swimming. Hoodwinking the public like this is just not on,” he says.
Bryce Johnson says farm stock contribute to faecal contamination levels and wants immediate action on excluding all
stock from waterways.
“The plan still allows stock to be in waterways until 2030. It is obvious there is a problem now and we need to act now.
Rather than waiting, that requires making the stock exclusion deadline sooner, not later,” he says.
Fish & Game does welcome the decision to use the Macroinvertebrate Community Index – MCI – as one way to measure ecosystem
health but says this doesn’t paint the full picture of what he public wants.
“People go to rivers to catch fish like eels, trout and koura not to look at how many small insects there are and the
MCI doesn’t guarantee fish abundance,” Bryce Johnson says.
Mr Johnson is critical of the time it has taken for the government to act.
“We need to do better. The government’s plan is years overdue and the proposed $2,000 penalties for polluters are weak.
That sum is derisory and a slap in the face for the environment – we want polluters punished with much heavier fines.”
Mr Johnson says the failure to address the problem earlier is costing New Zealanders dear.
“The public is paying dearly for governments allowing polluters to continue dirtying our fresh waterways. Not only is it
going to cost billions of dollars to get back to where we were, but on top of the economic cost, there is a cultural,
health and recreational price.
“For too long, the government has allowed vested interests to take away the public’s right to drink, swim in or gather
food from our rivers and streams. And the irony is that now the public is going to have to pick up the bill to put
things right.”
“It is clear the public has had enough. They have marched on Parliament, signed petitions and lobbied hard to have their
precious waterways properly protected. It is time all political parties had firm policy on this issue,” Bryce Johnson
says.
Fish & Game is urging all New Zealanders to have their say on the proposal and make sure the government properly protects
their rivers, lakes and streams for future generations.
ENDS