Response to Ministry for freshwater report

MEDIA STATEMENT

27 April, 2017

Response to Ministry for Environment/Statistics NZ freshwater report

Environment Canterbury Chairman David Bedford said the comprehensive report provides a marker of New Zealand’s fresh water management and the areas that particularly need addressing.

“The good news is, in Canterbury we now have the regulations that address water quality problems,” he said. “These include some of the toughest nutrient limits in the country. We have an operative region-wide water management plan, and local communities are well advanced with implementing improved farm management practices in their own areas.

“Additionally we are working with other agencies, individuals, industry groups and Ngāi Tahu to deliver measurable water quality outcomes. Biodiversity and cultural programmes in significant catchments such as Selwyn Te Waihora are good examples of this.”

The report indicates that some of the worst water quality is in urban areas. “The Christchurch West-Melton Zone Committee is working with several others to address the issues identified in the report, such as stormwater runoff and contaminant levels,” Mr Bedford said.

Irrigation is a contributor to the state of our rural waterways, according to the report. Canterbury has the most irrigation in New Zealand, so schemes are a particular focus for water and land use management.

“We are fortunate that Canterbury’s irrigators are actively working to improve the efficiency of their water use and to reduce nitrate leaching from their land. Our regulatory framework places stringent limits on farmers. At the same time, we need to acknowledge that we have legacy issues from when less was known about the potential impacts of land use. We believe we are now in a good position to address these legacy issues. It will take time, however – potentially decades in the worst affected areas.”

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