Trevor
Mallard12 August, 2008 - Good morning. Thank
you for the opportunity to speak to you
today about government policy on the management
of what is a very precious resource for
New Zealand.
Good quality freshwater
is fundamental to our kiwi lifestyle. It’s
crucial for economic development, and its
beauty, health and cleanliness are key to
our national identity, to our kiwi culture
and to the health and security of communities
around New Zealand.
We trade on our clean
green image; it’s what tourists love about
this country and it offers us a competitive
advantage internationally where consumers
are increasingly clamouring for eco-friendly
products and services.
While we can continue
to take pride in some of the world's cleanest,
most beautiful rivers and lakes, the most
recent state of the environment report shows
that the quality of New Zealand’s fresh
water is under increasing pressure from
intensifying land use, both in urban and
rural areas.
While pollution from
point sources has decreased, trends indicate
an increase in diffuse pollution entering
into our waterways from fertilisers, pesticides,
oils and nutrients from livestock effluent.
These diffuse discharges are associated
with increasingly intensive land use, both
in urban and rural environments, and are
difficult to contain.
The current state of
the Rotorua Lakes is a clear example of
the damage that urbanisation and rural land
use intensification can cause to water bodies.
These lakes are important for both tourism
and recreation. However, several of the
lakes have suffered water quality problems
for decades. High nutrient levels have resulted
in seriously degraded water quality, as
well as algal blooms which reduce oxygen
levels in the water, threatening other life
in the lakes. Research has shown that pollution
comes mostly from intensive farming and
sewage discharge.
The government has been
involved with the Rotorua Lakes Strategy
Group, made up of Environment Bay of Plenty,
Rotorua District Council, and Te Arawa Lakes
Trust, to assist in the restoration of Rotorua’s
Lakes. The Prime Minister announced in March
this year that the government will contribute
$72.1 million to the Group’s lakes clean
up project. The project involves:
construction or extension
of sewerage works to unserviced lakeside
communities
treatment or diversion of nutrient-rich
streams flowing into Lakes Rotorua and Rotoehu
capping lake sediments to stop nutrients
coming up from lake beds
construction of wetlands, and land management
changes to reduce nutrient inputs from surrounding
land
harvesting and disposal of weeds from Lake
Rotoehu
But fixing water bodies
on a case-by-case basis is not the answer.
This is why the government is undertaking
the Sustainable Water Programme of Action
to improve the management of our fresh water
resources and protect them into the future.
The programme is about
building a strategic, nationwide consistent
approach to water management. It’s about
ensuring efficient, fair, and sustainable
use of our fresh water while protecting
it from contamination. An important aim
for the programme is managing the undesirable
effects of land use on water quality.
Under the programme
we have completed a national environmental
standard for the protection of human drinking
water. This standard came into effect in
June and will require councils to consider
the effects of activities on drinking water
sources in their decision making, thereby
reducing the risk of contamination.
We are also close to
finalising a standard for the measurement
of water takes that will require resource
consent holders to measure and report on
how much water they use.
A third standard on
ecological flows and water levels is currently
undergoing public consultation, with submissions
closing on August 29th. This proposed standard
provides methods for determining the water
levels required to preserve the life-supporting
capacity of our water bodies.
We have recently released
a discussion document on a proposed national
environmental standard for on-site wastewater
systems. Requiring standards for on-site
treatment systems will help to avoid water
pollution from inadequate treatments and
septic tank failures. Submissions close
on 26 September.
These standards will
result in greater consistency in decision
making. But the cornerstone of the Sustainable
Water Programme of Action is the proposed
National Policy Statement for Freshwater
Management which I announced last month.
This has now been referred
to Board of Inquiry which will shortly publicly
notify the proposed NPS and seek submissions.
The Board will be independent
and will hear submissions, assess the national
policy statement as proposed and provide
me with a report which may include recommended
changes.
The proposed national
policy statement will lead to improvements
in the management of land use effects on
water by tying together policies on water
quality, water quantity, and land use and
development. I encourage you all to have
a read of it, as this could be the national
policy framework that will guide local government
decision making on our water resources into
the future.
This emerging regulatory
regime, of the national policy statement
and relevant national environmental standards,
is complemented by the Dairying and Clean
Streams Accord. The Accord is an industry-led,
voluntary initiative developed to set targets
relating to the physical protection of water
bodies.
The Accord has improved
the understanding of dairying’s impact on
water quality and the initiatives that are
required to reduce them, including keeping
cattle out of waterways, treating farm effluent,
and managing the use of fertiliser and other
nutrients.
I expect the pastoral
industry to work proactively to stop degrading
water quality through excessive nutrient
use. This includes making sure farmers who
continue to pollute don’t let the rest of
the industry down. I congratulate local
authorities for taking legal action where
local regulations and consent conditions
are breached.
We all need to remember
that water is not a resource of infinite
purity and supply, and all New Zealanders
need to take its quality and conservation
seriously. I strongly believe that by working
together with councils and other bodies,
and by implementing regulation and policy
to provide national guidance, we can contribute
to the improvement and sustainable management
of our waterways.
Thank you for inviting
me here today, enjoy your symposium.
+ More
Another step in restoring
beautiful Rotorua lakes
Trevor Mallard12 August,
2008 - I’m very proud to be here today beside
Lake Rotorua for this important next step
in the restoration of the beautiful Rotorua
Lakes.
Today’s signing of the
funding deed seals the government’s commitment
to the Rotorua Lakes Restoration Programme,
with a contribution of $72.1 million over
the next 10 years.
The funding recognises
the importance of the restoration programme
and the significance of the lakes to the
people of Te Arawa, of Rotorua and of New
Zealand.
Environment Bay of Plenty
and the Rotorua District Council will be
implementing the restoration programme,
and have also made a large funding commitment.
Together they are contributing $72.1 million.
This programme allows
us to continue the process of healing and
building a relationship of trust and cooperation
with Te Arawa.
The people of this region
and all New Zealanders clearly want to see
the lakes restored to their former glory.
The government is committed
to improving the state of all of New Zealand’s
waterways and this restoration programme
is a key part of that.
Through policy development
such as the proposed national policy statement
for freshwater management— that I announced
last month—and the suite of supporting national
environmental standards, we want the generations
who will follow us to inherit clean, swimmable
rivers and lakes.
The government has provided
funding since 2003 to improve Rotorua’s
water quality. This funding was for evaluation
of the scope of the Rotorua lakes’ problem,
short term remedial work, community waste
water upgrades, land user initiatives, and
science and research.
It’s good to know that
we have not just the funding in place, but
an agreed work programme with targets and
timeframes for the next ten years.
I look forward to watching
progress on this incredibly important project
and I wish all those involved the very best
for the hard work ahead.
