Auditor-General report shows need for stronger water regulation

A report by the Office of the Auditor-General highlights the need for strong national direction to clean up our freshwater, direction which the Government has so-far failed to provide, the Green Party said today.

"Regional councils have failed to control diffuse sources of pollution and we desperately need regulation to get on top of the problem," said Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman.

"Currently only one of the four regional councils reviewed by the Auditor-General has the ability to regulate to control all pollution coming off farms. Without this ability, how are councils supposed to halt and reverse the declining trend in freshwater quality?

"The strong draft National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management would have empowered regional councils to require resource consents for land-use intensification, the main source of water quality decline in New Zealand, but the Government watered it down," Dr Norman said.

Dr Norman agreed with the Office of the Auditor-General that councillors have exerted undue influence in decisions to prosecute breaches of freshwater rules and resource consents.

"Academic work in 2006 showed that farmers, who comprised less than 1 percent of New Zealanders, comprised 38 percent of all regional councillors, and formed a majority on 5 of the 12 regional councils. We need strong national regulation to ensure that farming interests don't win out over public values for freshwater," Dr Norman said.

Dr Norman said the Green Party had a strong plan to make New Zealand rivers and lakes clean enough to swim in again. The plan has three elements 1) Set standards for clean water; 2) Introduce a fair charge for irrigation water; and 3) Support water clean-up initiatives.

"This plan will empower regional councils to halt and reverse the declining trends in freshwater quality," said Dr Norman.

"These trends in water quality decline are jeopardising our clean, green image on which the health of our economy depends.

"Looking after our natural environment, including our rivers and lakes, is the best thing we can do to build a stronger economy that in turn looks after all our people," said Dr Norman.