24th February 2019

A New Zealand trout and rivers advocacy is sceptical the National Party’s recently released Blue-Green environmental and conservation charter.

Graham Carter of Hamilton, president of the NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers (NZFFA) said the National Party would inevitably and unavoidably be in conflict with its own performance while in government for three parliamentary terms, 2008-2017.

Analysis of the Blue-Green charter recently released, seemed to indicate despite the reassuring words, that underneath nothing had radically changed in the way of party policy.

“It reads hollow. Reading between the lines, it seems it’s more irrigation schemes, more agriculture (i.e. cows), more oil and gas, more greenhouse gases, partial privatisation of National Parks and conservation, nothing meaningful to clean our rivers - it all does not inspire confidence,” said Graham Carter.

He said it was obvious from a photograph of the panel featuring Forest and Bird, an ex-Green MP and Federated Farmers, that the panel collaborating had been carefully picked. Worth noting was the photograph had been removed.

“Uninvited were Fish and Game, the Federation of Freshwater Anglers, a big game hunting organisation, Legasea representing 800,000 saltwater recreational anglers and other conservation and recreation sectors,” said Graham Carter.

He said the performance of National cabinet ministers during 2008-17 in portfolios of environment, conservation and fisheries had been poor at times, descending to being dismissive of public concerns and interest in favour of development and corporates.

“Most of all NZFFA is particularly concerned at the plight of the public’s rivers, the diminishing flows due to corporate dairy farm water abstraction and contamination with nitrates and other chemicals", said Graham Carter. “The seizure by the state of Environment Canterbury was an unprecedented power grab to facilitate more dairying for corporates.”

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