Farmers applaud water clean up plan
"The announcement is a positive one," says Ian Mackenzie, Federated Farmers water spokesperson.
"As the Minister acknowledges, there is a lot of work being put in locally to prevent contamination. Some of this may be a work in progress, but it's work that is in progress.
"I don't think there's a farmer I know who would do anything but support greater efforts with the Manawatu River as well as the Wairarapa lakes and the Waituna and Wainono Lagoons.
"In the Manawatu, I'm pleased to say we are working closely with DairyNZ and the regional council in an initiative called DairyLink. It is specifically aimed at helping farmers reduce nutrient loss from farms.
"In Canterbury, two weeks ago, 550 people attended the inaugural Canterbury Dairy Effluent Expo. The expo has come out of the Canterbury Dairy Effluent Group we're part of that promotes environmental compliance and the best on-farm use of dairy nutrients.
"As you can see Federated Farmers is not just supportive, we're actually doing positive things right now in respect of Lake Taupo, the Rotorua Lakes, the Waikato River and Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora.
"We are also working hard on the Land & Water Forum to create a sustainable future because this is far from a 'farming only story'. The announcement highlights to me that we all have a role to play in water quality.
"It's a role I'm pleased to say that farmers increasingly embrace," Mr Mackenzie concluded.