Protecting our lakes, rivers, wetlands, groundwater and streams
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 Project Aqua) have meant that the protection of natural and intrinsic values struggles to compete with the rush for access to freshwater.
The Green Party’s huge lead in a major environmental poll gives a clear indication of where we stand on environmental issue - out in front by a long way, Green Party’s Conservation Spokesperson Metiria Turei says.
The Environment Minister must place a moratorium on new consents to take water in at-risk catchments given the insane decision to allocate 41 new consents to take water from the already over-allocated red zone in Canterbury, the Green Party says.
The Green Party is renewing calls for a green public investment plan, in light of the highest inflation figures in 18 years - driven by high oil prices.
A green investment plan would invest in projects to make New Zealand less dependent on oil, reduce our greenhouse emissions, use our resources more efficiently and keep people in work and business in business.
Labour's sustainable infrastructure announcement is a disappointing mixture of already-announced initiatives and promises so vague they have no real meaning, the Green Party says.
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.
Tests in Lake Horowhenua after the recent overflow of nearby sewage ponds appear to confirm the lake suffered from extra pollution because of the event, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
The Government is doing little else but hand-wringing over the polluted state of New Zealand’s lowland rivers instead of taking the brave action needed, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
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.
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.
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.
Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman is urging Environment Minister Trevor Mallard to take as much notice of tourism industry lobbying as he has of lobbying by polluters in recent months.
Horowhenua District Council is making the wrong move by proposing secret meetings with a tiny number of invited members as the main community consultation, Greens Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
It is disastrous the edge of Lake Horowhenua is still being polluted by sewage, with high levels of e.coli found in official tests between council sewage ponds and Lake Horowhenua after the treatment plant overflowed recently. Dr Norman met a group of Muaupoko iwi on Friday near the lake. They were deeply upset they were not forewarned by the council of the overflow nor consulted before Mr Duffy’s staff built two huge make-shift ponds on paddocks outside the plant to try to contain the partly-treated sewage.
The Green Party is welcoming the debate opened by a NZ Business Council for Sustainable Development report which calls on the Government to implement a water trading system. But there are potential "fish hooks" in the scheme.
Sewage ponds have overflowed at the Lake Horowhenua treatment plant with only new unlined earth banks keeping them from spilling into the lake. "This is turning out to be one of New Zealand’s worst sewage disasters in years," Says Green Co-Leader Russel Norman, "yet Horowhenua Mayor Brendan Duffy is still in denial. He needs to accept there is a major problem and take leadership on it or resign." Go to our water page
Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman MP has challenged Horowhenua Mayor Brendan Duffy to a public debate in Levin over the District Council’s waste management practices.
"In local news media, Mr Duffy has called me ‘ill-informed’ and ‘completely out of order’ for raising the issue of a threat of sewage discharge into Lake Horowhenua," Dr Norman says.
The next Government needs to increase instant fines possible under Resource Management Act regulations for serious polluters of rivers and lakes, Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
Otago Regional Council must stop protecting names of persistent polluters if it is serious about the problem of worsening river quality in the region, Green Party Co-Leader Russel Norman says.
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