Our harbours of shame
Released 10 Jan 2011
The irony of Dr Russel Norman bemoaning the state of our rural rivers on the day that urban impacts upon the Waitemata Harbour has been laid bare has not been lost on Federated Farmers.
"The New Year looks like its going to be a bumper one for cruise ships, but the state of our harbours could hit New Zealand's clean green image," says Lachlan McKenzie, Federated Farmers co-spokesperson for water.
"Could it be a case of not seeing the harbours for the rivers?
"People have been advised not to swim at many popular beaches within 48 hours of heavy rain because of stormwater and human sewage.
"In Auckland's Waitemata the detritus of human sanitation has been found and I wonder what that does for our environmental image. A similar picture was also painted in Wellington's Harbour last year.
"The agricultural sector hasn't ever denied it has no impact. But while agriculture is closely scrutinised, human impacts on the environment are less so, let off with a warning sign and a collective ‘c'est la vie' seems to suffice for our harbours and urban beaches.
"So you need to ask why there isn't a kayak tour of beaches and sewage plants. Then again, perhaps no one wishes to look in the mirror?
"A more eventful voyage would be had kayaking around our urban beaches to see human waste washing ashore, rather than rivers during their summer low flows.
"You also have to wonder what happens when Dr Norman gets an inevitable call of nature on the kayak, or indeed any other boatie - unless there's such a thing as a kayaking en suite.
"Instead of trying to make farmers out as a bogeyman, a better example was set by Jeannette Fitzsimons before she retired from politics.
"Federated Farmers worked with her to get Good Farming Stories going but the shame is that her good work has not been built upon. That said we'll be keen to work with the Greens on this if they want us to.
"I also wonder if he is going to Kayak down the Mokihinui River on the West Coast? Despite an absence of dairy farms, the Cawthorn Institute's recent report found this river to be among the four most degraded major rivers in New Zealand and apparently, one of the worst ‘in the western world'.
"No doubt New Zealand needs to keep an eye on its environment. It is one of our most valuable assets. But we must all take a wider look at the problem and focus on all contributors instead of blaming it all on farming," Mr McKenzie concluded.
For further information contact:
Lachlan McKenzie, Federated Farmers water co-spokesperson, 07 332 3440, 021 382 442
