Ashburton Courier: October 24, 2019

Local news at www.starnews.co.nz Ashburton’s The Courier, Thursday 24 October 2019, Page 31
Water submission countdown is on
By Toni Williams
The countdown is on.
The Government is proposing
changes to improve water quality
nationwide and to protect productive
land but deadlines on public submissions
close next week (October 31).
The Government’s Essential Freshwater
proposal includes some plans
which will affect not just the rural
community, but also those living in
town and cities.
The primary industries meeting in
Ashburton last month, which saw
around 350 farmers, rural industry
members attended, was achance for
staff from Ministry for the Environment
and Ministry ofPrimary Industries
to front up, talk about the issues
and hear questions and concernsfrom
concerned members of the public,
many from the farming community.
That information was recorded as
feedback to form part of the ministry’s
consultation consideration.
Submissions on the proposal close
on October 31 at 5pm; which is an
extension from the earlier date of
October 17 after push back from the
rural industry concerned about the
short turn around and the volume of
information to consider.
At the meeting Ministry for the
Environment deputy secretary
Amanda Moran said getting the right
balance between the environment
and the economy was important,
signalled by the large turn­out to the
meeting.
She acknowledged the work and
innovation already done in the rural
sector but said there was more
neededinsome areas,and otherswho
needed support to do better.
‘‘Getting these things right now is
crucial. The decisions we make today
impactongenerationstocome just as
the decisions that have been already
made by others before us are having
an impact on us now,’’ she said.
‘‘We want to make sure that the
work we are doing is made onrobust
science and ahealthy understanding
of what the impacts are in the
community.’’
She said the Environment Aotearoa
report,released in April this year,
outlined environmental challenges
nationwide and believed it was
unlikely anyone disagreed with the
need look after the environment, but
the ‘‘questions were how, and how
fast’’.
She said discussions were also
being had on Hazardous substances,
urban development and work in the
‘waste space’ was also under review.
Water has been put at the centreof
decision­making by the Government
goal to see amaterialimprovement in
water quality infive years and healthier
waterways in ageneration.
MFE director of water Martin
Workman said ‘‘water is important
our wellbeing as people, for our
economy and our environment.’’
‘‘We needtobeputting water at the
front of all our decisions that we’re
making around how we are managing
our land and our water resources.’’
There were anumber of proposals
including changes tonational policy
statement, national environmental
statement, proposals targeted on
urban water issues such as wastewater
management, storm water and protection
of drinking water sources.
This is was looking at urban water
issues aswell as rural issues.
‘‘We’ve heard loud and clear that
it’s not justabout rural,and community,
and blaming farmers. This is not
about giving farmers a kick in the
guts.
‘‘It’s looking for all New Zealanders
to be doing their bit to
achievewater quality that we aspire to
as acountry.
Nationwide, Mr Workman said
there were anumber ofwaste water
schemes which were not adequate
such as in Auckland,and would likely
cost millions, or billions, of dollars to
improve.
‘‘Urban’s got its problems, urban
water ways are the most polluted in
this country and we need tobefixing
them up.’’
He said 16 freshwater scientists,
and afreshwater leaders group,stated
ideal waterways would include less
sediment, reducing ecoli and harmful
pathogens and lower levels of nitrogen
in waterways to abottom line of
one milligram ofdissolving inorganic
nitrogen, to ensure fish, insects and
bugs in waterways remain healthy to
survive and reproduce.
It was aboutgetting aplan in place,
with objectives which were expected
to take decades to achieve.
‘‘The nitrogen bottom line, are
expected to take decades to achieve.
It isn’t something that is going to be
achievement overnight or by 2025, in
many places its going to take alot
longer.’’
In some places there is going tobe
a big change and it could include
technology over decades to come up
with solutions, he said.
For farmers and growers in the
short term, it meant farm plans were
needed by 2025 to understand and
mange environmental risks, limits on
intensification of land use (such as
converting to dairy), excluding stock
from waterways above ametre wide,
and plans to exclude stock from
smaller waterways.
But there are also proposals that
apply to specific locations and activities,
such as; restrictions on draining
wetlands and infilling streams, meeting
aminimum standard for winter
grazing, getting aresourceconsent for
feedlots, stock holding areas, reporting
of large water use (like irrigation)
using telemetry and in high nitrate/
nitrogen catchments, with noexisting
rules, reducing excessive levels.
MPI director of land, water and
climate, Charlotte Denny, said there
was aneed to protectproductive land
nationwide.
‘‘Around 14 percent of New
Zealand’s farm land is categorised as
highly productive, which means it
contains the best soil for growing a
range of fruits, vegetables or fibre or
pasture for livestock,’’ she said.
Councils across the country had a
variety ofways to protect these lands
but there was no clarity ofhow to
protect them within the Resource
Management Act framework.
There was ‘‘a duty to cherish and
protect itfor future generations’’ not
only for its significant economic
benefits including employment for
their surrounding communities, but
for its value to New Zealand’s
primary sector, she said.
Nationwide between 1990 and
2008, 29 percent of new urban areas
had infringed on land considered
highly productive for primary production.
And in 2011 already 10percent of
highly productive land had been
fragmented for set up for rural
lifestyle developments.
Compensation is unlikely to help
farmers with changes needed for the
proposals, but there will be support
available.
It will come in the form of the
Governments $229m to support farmers
to make the changes in sustainable
land use needed.
Photo: Farmers atthe Ashburton
meeting.
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