25/08/2006
- While New Zealanders love their natural waterways,
the image of fully clothed adults standing up
to their waists in rivers and lakes may seem a
little surprising.
Surprise is the reaction the
Ministry for the Environment is aiming for with
its national Water Awareness Campaign, launched
today by the Environment Minister David Benson-Pope.
The campaign's promotional materials
feature fully-clothed people standing up to their
waist in some of New Zealand's iconic water bodies.
“The human body is two-thirds
water, so we chose these images along with the
slogan, ‘New Zealand. A valuable body of water’.
We wanted to grab people’s attention and get them
thinking about how they use one of our most precious
assets. The photos were shot under closely supervised
conditions, and our marketing research showed
they created a powerful visual impact.
“The people in these pictures
are everyday New Zealanders who, like all of us,
depend on freshwater for business, recreation,
and family life,” Mr Benson-Pope said.
“Most New Zealanders would be
astonished if they knew how much water we all
use – and waste – every day.
“Most would also be surprised
to learn that New Zealand doesn’t have an endless
supply of pure water. Some of our rivers are dry,
and some of our rivers and lakes are polluted.
We may be able to reverse the damage and protect
our waterways from now on, but only if we change
our behaviour. The first step to changing behaviour
is to change attitudes, and that’s what this campaign
is doing,” he said.
“To find out more about the
value of water and the need to use it more wisely,
visit www.4million.org.nz, the Government website
promoting environmental awareness and the concept
of New Zealand having four million careful owners.”
The Water Awareness Campaign
is a three-year partnership between central and
regional government. It aims to raise people’s
awareness of water use and quality issues, and
encourage more personal responsibility in water
use in the home and the workplace.
See also avid Benson-Pope's
feature article, Freshwater vital to national
wellbeing, here, including a wealth of useful
links and referenes to other recent water-focussed
documents on the Beehive website.
Hon David Benson-Pope
