National Policy Statement 'watered down' by growth agenda

Labour’s Water spokesperson Brendon Burns says any step forward to improve water quality is welcome, but the Government's announcements yesterday are negated by steps backwards.

"In announcing the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management, Environment Minister Nick Smith repeats the bunkum line about balancing economic growth with improved environmental management," Brendon Burns said.

"While it will take some years for the NPS to bed in, the Government is encouraging rapid new growth in intensive agriculture, notably dairying, which will not be bound by any new rules."

"In releasing the Land and Water Forum report recently, Dr Smith said it would take ‘several years’ to get new rules in place governing water,” Brendon Burns said.

“In the meantime, the Cabinet's pro-growth cabal is in charge and determined to encourage a new wave of rapid water-led activity which will continue to add to the deteriorating quality of our streams, rivers and lakes."

Brendon Burns says in that his province of Canterbury alone, a new Fonterra plant is now being planned to process two million litres of milk a day and the Chinese-owned Synlait plant is doubling production.

"While Dr Smith has announced some funding to improve water quality and is moving to require councils to have tougher rules on water quality and abstraction, this will be diluted by new production which will not have to meet new rules for years.

"Ironically, those most at risk are farmers because New Zealand markets itself on its 'clean, green' image and that is already under a cloud so far as water quality is concerned.

“The Government should be signalling that any intensive new production requiring water has to meet tougher new environmental criteria rather than waiting years for these to be imposed,” Brendon Burns said.