Time for Govt to regulate dairy pollution

The latest Clean Streams Accord report shows that the time has come for the Government to step in to prevent further pollution of New Zealand’s rivers and streams by dairy farming, the Green Party said today.

“It’s time for the Government to regulate the impact of dairy pollution with enforceable water quality standards. Voluntary measures, which rely on individual farmers to make improvements to their practices and report their own progress, are simply not enough of an incentive,” Green Party Co-Leader Dr Russel Norman said.

The Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is a charter between Fonterra, the Ministers of Agriculture and the Environment, and regional councils, and aims to minimise the negative impact of dairying on New Zealand’s waterways

It specifies voluntary targets to keep dairy cattle out of waterways, to treat farm effluent, and to manage the use of fertilisers and other nutrients.

The latest ‘Snapshot of Progress’ report, released today, shows the number of farms where effluent discharge complied with resource consents and regional plans has dropped to its lowest level yet.

Dr Norman said Agriculture Minister David Carter should step in.

“Last year, the Minister said that his Government’s preference is for voluntary industry-led environmental management, but if the sector was not responsive, they would act.

“We can see now that the sector is not responsive. It’s time for the Minister to make good on his promise. He is talking tough, but this means nothing without action,” Dr Norman said.

Dr Norman said the poor results were even more concerning because there was evidence that the real picture is probably even worse.

“The last report before this one claimed – based on self-reporting from farmers - that dairy cattle had been excluded from 70% of waterways in the Auckland region.

“Yet a report from the Auckland Regional Council which randomly surveyed stream sites in the same area found that only 26% of dairying sites in the same region had an effective fence on both banks.

“This suggests the real picture could be much worse than even this disappointing result suggests, and provides yet another reason for the Government to rise to the challenge,” Dr Norman said.

References:

The latest Clean Streams Accord Snapshot of Progress, released today: http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/sectors/dairy/index.html

Agriculture Minister David Carter’s comments in May 2009: http://www.3news.co.nz/News/PoliticsNews/PM-Minister-hammer-home-message-on-dirty-dairying/tabid/419/articleID/102770/cat/67/Default.aspx

The previous Clean Streams Accord, showing an apparent 70% cattle exclusion rate in the Auckland region: http://www.maf.govt.nz/mafnet/rural-nz/sustainable-resource-use/resource-management/dairy-clean-stream/execsum-07-08.htm

The Auckland Regional Council report showing only 26% of randomly surveyed sites in the Auckland region had effective fencing: http://www.arc.govt.nz/albany/fms/main/Documents/Plans/Technical%20publications/Technical%20reports/2009%201-50/TR2009_002%20-%20A%20survey%20of%20the%20riparian%20characteristics%20of%20the%20Auckland%20region.pdf

ENDS

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