Home › Campaigns ›

Water


International research has shown that freshwater has become the new ‘gold’. Rivers throughout the world have been under increasing pressure to provide not only for the necessities of life, but also for irrigation and hydro generation. The Green Party recognises that New Zealand rivers are no exception.

Climate change is also predicted to impact upon our river systems, including reduced glacial storage and changes in rainfall patterns, frequency of flooding and drought events. The pressures placed upon our river systems (like industrial dairying) have meant that the protection of natural and intrinsic values struggles to compete with the rush for access to freshwater.

Read our water policy

What's new

Labour leaves legacy of pollution

02 Oct 2008

The Labour-led Government should be ashamed for allowing the country’s waterways to become more polluted under its watch, despite Labour promising at the last election to make rivers safe for swimming in.

Coast suffers while council dithers over sewage

18 Sep 2008

It is ridiculous for Far North District Council to blame "greenies" for the council’s lack of long-term planning and for sewage problems created by the council, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.

Ag. leaders beef-up pressure against river clean-ups

17 Sep 2008

Regional councils must resist new pressure from farming leaders who seem to want to stop council moves to enforce effluent consents and clean up rivers, the Green Party says.

Dirty Dairying - Oral Question

11 Sep 2008
youtube_link: 
See Video

Dr Russel Norman MP questions the Minister for the Environment on the government's inaction on water quality issues.


Rivers too polluted for stock to drink from

10 Sep 2008

The Government can’t ignore a report on Waikato water quality out today that shows 70 percent of 78 rivers and streams tested were unsafe for swimming and more than 75 percent were unsafe for stock to drink from, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.

more