Our 2011 election manifesto - Labour Party

their land use to meet required environmental outcomes cannot expect on-going access to
this precious resource.
Water quality
There is growing concern over the declining quality of water. Rural water quality has been
deteriorating because of agricultural intensification, notably dairying, and the increased runoff
of effluent, nitrate and phosphate. In urban areas, water pollution is being caused by
stormwater, run-off, sewage and industrial pollution.
The economy is part of the environment. Both will benefit hugely from improved water quality
and more efficient water use. National‟s agenda is for rapid economic growth ahead of new
standards to protect water quality from being degraded. Labour rejects this self-defeating
approach.
Freshwater management National Policy Statement
While it is the job of regional councils to manage water at local level, central government
must underpin the need to improve water quality. National is failing to do so.
The last Labour government set up a board of inquiry to prepare a National Policy Statement
(NPS) on freshwater management. The resulting draft NPS would have required strong
action on the impact agricultural intensification is having on water quality. The draft NPS was
broadly backed by the widely representative Land and Water Forum.
National gutted the draft NPS. The NPS on Freshwater Management 2011 only requires
regional councils to adopt water quality standards by 2030. No overall national standards are
required – each council is left to work out its own. This will lead to expensive and timeconsuming
conflict over water quality standards region by region. If this is not changed, by
2030 our rivers are likely to be even more polluted than they are now.
Labour will urgently strengthen the NPS on Freshwater Management 2011 in line
with the draft NPS proposed by the board of inquiry.
Labour will rigorously uphold the key principle of the draft freshwater management
NPS that economic activity cannot proceed if it comes at the continued cost of the
quality of ground and surface water quality.
Labour will adopt and implement national water quality standards, with targets for
them to be met by.
Labour will support regional councils in setting clear and enforceable limits on
nutrient limits and minimum flow regimes on major waterways.
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