13th November 2018

The New Zealand Federation of Freshwater Anglers (NZFFA), a national association of angling clubs and anglers, is disappointed, but not surprised, by the Local Government NZ position statement on the 3 Waters project. The statement suggested that ‘while there are challenges at the margin, by and large New Zealand’s water system is far from broken,’ and that wastewater and stormwater standards were best left to run their course before introducing new ones.

NZFFA President Graham Carter responded to its release by saying “Let’s face it; LGNZ’s history when it comes to water is appalling. It is appalling that it has taken peoples deaths to finally goad them into fulfilling their obligations to provide basic potable water. But in many, many places throughout the country, Councils idea of managing water supplies is simply to tell people to stop using it over summer! It is usually not that there isn’t sufficient water available, rather that Councils would rather spend ratepayer’s money on all sorts of flashy, feel-good projects than to supply the basics of human life and comfort”.

However, it was the issues of wastewater and stormwater that also concern anglers. Both issues that LGNZ seem keen to ignore for as long as they can. “Nothing could demonstrate more clearly just how out of touch these organisations are with public opinion and aspirations about clean, healthy public waterways, than to simply dismiss them as either non-issues or vague long- term goals” he added. “And nothing could demonstrate just how comfortably and smugly confident they feel about ignoring that public opinion”.

The public, including New Zealand anglers, are fed up with Local Government pouring contaminated stormwater and wastewater into their waterways. They resent Local Government throughout the country putting the private wealth generation of a few before the health of both themselves and the environment. They aren’t stupid, they know that the 2017 water quality standards were designed to protect polluters, not public waterways. And they are looking to Central Government to break this vicious cycle.

“Hopefully, the new Government will see past this self-serving attempt to protect LGNZ’s own interests, and act in the interests of the public over our waterways health” said Mr Carter.

Yours

Graham Carter
President

ends

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