Te Mana o te Wai is being heralded as a game-changer for waterways. But for one freshwater scientist, it’s a bitter disappointment. Two weeks into alert level two, it seems we have already forgotten all those resolutions about the pandemic being an environmental “wake-up call” to do things differently. Despite being issued by a government … Read more
The government has just announced a whole lot of new rules and policies for freshwater with the aim of urgently stopping degradation and cleaning up rivers over the long term. What’s all this then? A massive package of work on freshwater quality has just been announced in an attempt to halt further damage and start … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Warnings about waterways in mass eel deaths, government funding approved for Christchurch stadium, and two Covid-19 tests come back negative. Frankly, this is one of the most visually horrifying environmental stories I’ve ever seen. Farah Hancock at Newsroom has looked at the extreme pressure being put on waterways … Read more
The government has just published its plan to halt the degradation of waterways and restore the health of freshwater over a generation. But one group says it ‘throws farming under the tractor’. What’s this then? David Parker, the environment minister, has just announced government plans for waterways. “Our rivers, lakes and wetlands are under serious … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Environment minister blocks Waitaha River power scheme, Britain shaken by parliament suspension plan, and measles outbreak spikes in South Auckland. The government has made an important decision to not allow a West Coast hydro power scheme to go ahead. Stuff reports environment minister David Parker declined the … Read more
Taken from RNZ’s the Raising the Bar series, researcher Dan Hikuroa looks at the fate of our waterways and how matauranga Māori can help us read the warning signs earlier. “What if the river had its own voice?” asks Dan Hikuroa. “What would the river be saying to us?” Dismayed by the increasing degradation of our … Read more
If regional councils are to use new funding to address water quality, they could do well to start in Hawke’s Bay, where wood mill effluent continues to be an issue 27 years after a damning report into its effects. Never has there been a better time to rethink and refresh the care of our rivers, … Read more
Freshwater scientist Troy Baisden explores six ways to improve water quality in New Zealand’s lakes and rivers Two years ago, New Zealanders were shocked when contaminated drinking water sickened more than 5,000 people in the small town of Havelock North, with a population of 14,000. A government inquiry found that sheep faeces were the likely … Read more
Forget bottled water – the new ‘health’ craze for those who reject tap water is raw, untreated water from rivers and springs. New Zealanders shouldn’t need to be told what a terrible idea that is, writes biological scientist Dr Alison Campbell. ‘Raw water’ is the latest foolish fad to hit people’s screens, pockets – and, … Read more
The giant dairy co-op says it wants to play a positive role in cleaning up waterways. To test that pledge, the government must urgently change the rules so Fonterra is no longer obliged to pick up milk from new dairy conversions, argues Russel Norman of Greenpeace NZ This year, amidst all the raucous noise about … Read more
Scientist Dr Mike Joy writes about his experience of watching a private Facebook status become a very public endorsement. Editors update: after publishing the below piece The Spinoff received a phone call hotly disputing it from TOP’s Sean Plunket. He claimed to possess and has since provided an email from Mike Joy dated 11.17am on … Read more
Just a couple of cents? Hardly. The opposition plan to charge for use of irrigation would impose a major burden, and it is hard to see how it would alleviate water quality problems, argues Megan Hands. There is no doubt that water management is top of mind for many of us this election, but none more … Read more
Freshwater is fast becoming one of the hottest topics ahead of the September vote. What are the main policy differences when it comes to ownership, pricing and exportation? Nicole Buxeda dips her toe in This post is the first in the Policy A Day series which launches today at Andrew Chen’s Mashed Calculus and Differential … Read more
An essay by Dr Philip Steer on Lake Tutira in Hawke’s Bay, now an unswimmable toxic dump, but once the idyllic setting for one of the greatest books ever published in New Zealand. Pinea rawatia ki Tutira ra; Ki te ue pata, ki te kai rakau. A ehara e hine i te roto hou; He … Read more
The government’s Clean Water package quickly became bogged down in claim and counter-claim. What did it really amount to? Jenny Webster-Brown of the Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management demystifies the policy. Last Friday, Nick Smith revealed a target to make 90% of rivers and lakes swimmable by 2040, the key outcome of the government’s proposed … Read more
As New Zealanders’ drift to the city continues, the rural-urban divide grows ever deeper. Instead of writing off the complaints of ‘townies’, those of us in the agricultural industries can’t afford to ignore the increasing calls for action, writes John Hart, farmer and Green candidate. When I was kid in the 1970s, almost everyone I … Read more