Greenpeace Aotearoa says that today’s announcement that the state of New Zealand rivers is worsening should indicate the need for more protection for fresh water - not less. The organisation says it is deeply concerned by the Luxon-led government’s move to strip consenting applicants’ requirements to comply with freshwater protections.

Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says "While the health of lakes and rivers in New Zealand is worsening, Luxon’s government is moving ahead with reckless plans to scrap freshwater protections and remove restrictions on polluting industries like intensive dairying."

In May, the Government announced plans to remove requirements for consent applicants to comply with Te Mana o Te Wai - the hierarchy of obligations, which puts the health of fresh water and communities ahead of commercial use of water.

"People across Aotearoa are facing the consequences of decades of inaction from successive governments, who failed to rein in intensive dairy’s pollution of lakes, rivers, and drinking water. Now, Luxon seeks to make that pollution even worse by removing the only effective freshwater protections we have," says Appelbe.

"New Zealand’s freshwater protections aren’t perfect, but they’re better than nothing. They’re the only thing standing between Aotearoa’s lakes, rivers and drinking water, and polluting industries like intensive dairying.

"The intensive dairy industry consistently contaminates waterways with pollutants like nitrate and E Coli, which negatively impact people’s health. LAWA’s report today shows we need more protections, not less."

The LAWA report shows around two-thirds of monitored swimming sites are scoring for dangerous levels of E Coli, a fecal bacteria from dairy pollution, birds and runoff, and untreated wastewater discharges. Nitrate toxicity has shown little change, and is highest in pasture based sites.

"This week, the Primary Production Select Committee will deliver their report to Parliament on the Bill that will scrap Te Mana o Te Wai. The fact that this report will land the same week that LAWA’s data indicates declining water quality just shows where this Government’s priorities are," says Appelbe.

"Luxon’s Government is waging a war on nature. Their actions will strip away access to safe, healthy lakes, rivers and drinking water for even more communities across Aotearoa."

A Greenpeace petition calling for the Government to maintain the current freshwater protections launched in May, shortly after the Government announced plans to scrap protections like Te Mana o Te Wai. To date, nearly twenty thousand people have signed on, calling on Christopher Luxon to "keep [his] hands off the current freshwater protections to ensure safe drinking water and swimmable rivers for all."

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