The Central Plains irrigation scheme is a Think Big scheme that is bad news for the environment, the Green Party said today.
The Government today announced that the Irrigation Acceleration Fund would be committing $1.71m towards the Central Plains Water scheme.
"This decision is bad news for the Waimakariri and Rakaia rivers and puts our groundwater at risk of increased nitrate pollution," said Green Party environment spokesperson Eugenie Sage.
"Cantabrians love our rivers, lakes and streams, and the fact that many of us can drink untreated water from our aquifers. The National Government's promotion of irrigation is putting that at risk."
Parliament will tomorrow debate the final stages of the Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Amendment Bill which extends the term of Government appointed ECan (Environment Canterbury) commissioners and weakens water conservation orders in Canterbury.
Documents obtained by Forest and Bird and released under the Official Information Act in 2010 showed that the legislation was introduced to ensure that the Rakaia water conservation order could be amended to enable Trustpower's Coleridge and Rakaia irrigation project.
"This Government is happy to change the law to suit their agenda. It is no surprise that the Government are happy to throw away over $5 million more on this scheme," said Ms Sage.
"It is pointless for Government and ECan to spend around $10 million on cleaning up Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) when the Central Plains scheme will increase the pollution load on the lake at the bottom of the Central Plains catchment.
"The Central Plains scheme does not stack up environmentally or economically. Without the significant subsidies from local and central Government it has received it would not have been built.
"This is yet another example of the Government picking the wrong winners."
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