Pure spin vs. pure water

Written By: - Date published: 1:34 pm, March 30th, 2016 - 27 comments
Categories: Conservation, sustainability, water - Tags: , ,

Bravo to those who are highlighting the issue of the state of our water:

Emotions run high on Parliament steps over freshwater standards

There were tears, there were chants, and a challenge was laid down to the Government.

A host of students marched on the Beehive to present a petition of 13,000 signatures to politicians, calling for all freshwater in New Zealand to be swimmable. ‘Wadeable’ and ‘boatable’ are the current standards for freshwater bodies around the country.

Green Party, Labour Party and Maori Party leaders and MPs greeted the protesters.

Labour leader Andrew Little said the Government’s bottom-line was “appalling”. “By the Government’s own reckoning, 61% of our monitored waterways are of ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ quality which means they are unsafe for swimming and should be avoided,” he said. “This acceptance of dirty water quality is the reason New Zealand’s young people have taken it upon themselves to lobby the Government for higher standards and action.” He said a Labour Government would set minimum swimmable standards.

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty said it was “rubbish” that water pollution was too expensive to clean up.

Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell goes further than wanting freshwater to be swimmable. He wants all freshwater to be drinkable. “It should be should be drinkable as an element of sustaining giving kai (food),” he said. It was one of “three principles” the party have argued for, along with being able to swim in the water and to gather food. “In the end the sustenance of water that gives to every human being is worth spending any amount of money on.”

Our “100% Pure” brand is 100% spin.

environment-water

(source)

27 comments on “Pure spin vs. pure water ”

  1. Aught3 1

    I supported the swimmable river position by signing the petition (and love the Maori party position on drinkable, good stuff). The National party says that some rivers can’t be made swimmable due to native bird life and geothermal activity. That seems reasonable to me but what I would like to know is what proportion of the 62% currently below this standard that comment actually applies to. It being the National party I suspect it’s only a small proportion. Seems like a job for a journalist writing these articles to find out about.

    • Andre 1.1

      I used to spend a lot of time whitewater kayaking. Can’t think of a single instance of any waterway being fouled by native birdlife. The Lagoon in Palmerston North is disgusting, but that’s imported mallards. The only waterway made undrinkable by geothermal activity I can think of is the Whangaehu River, which starts at Ruapehu’s crater lake.

      • Aught3 1.1.1

        Actually, I’ve just seen that the 62% applies only to pathogen contamination so the geothermal concern is irrelevant.

    • esoteric pineapples 1.2

      There were literally millions of ducks and other waterfowl in New Zealand when Europeans first arrived but no one said anything about the water being fowl (scuse the pun) back then.

    • weka 1.3

      “The National party says that some rivers can’t be made swimmable due to native bird life and geothermal activity”

      How come?

  2. Magisterium 2

    My dad, born and bred Rotorua, told me that when he was a kid Lake Rotorua was as clean and clear as Lake Taupo. By the time he told me that, in the 80s, Lake Rotorua was already brown glop.

    • Tautuhi 2.1

      Evidently Lake Taupo has water quality problems in parts of the Lake these days?

    • Macro 2.2

      Lake Rotorua, and Lake Taupo , and all the inland lakes fed by streams and rivers passing through intensified dairy country are all contaminated by agricultural run-off. In the States – Lake Eire – more massive than all our lakes combined – is now undrinkable because of agricultural run-off. Some lake side cities have had to import drinking water because of algal blooms and toxins that cannot be filtered or treated.
      Either we begin to regulate farmers discharging their external costs onto the community (every dairy herd of 200 cows has the effluent discharge of a town of 3500 people. They can spray it into paddocks, where it sits for a time, but eventually it finds it way into the streams and rivers) – or we face increasingly polluted water ways.

  3. roy cartland 3

    Actually “drinkable” isn’t even the highest standard we should aim for. Adult humans are much more tolerant to nitrate levels than babies, who are more tolerant than fish. Get them clean enough for the original fish to come back, then we can start congratulating ourselves.

    • weka 3.1

      This.

      It’s a sad indictment of NZ as a society that we are now doing something about polluted rivers because we can’t swim in them. This has been going on for a very long time, why weren’t we concerned enough before?

  4. BM 4

    Giardia makes the drinkable part a bit unrealistic.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 4.1

      Yeah, like landing a robot on Mars using a sky-crane: it’s all about priorities. Yours are a little bit shit, and you have no excuse.

  5. TC 5

    Flavell takes the piss surely given the way
    His party keeps voting with national and supporting their flogging of assets.

    • Red delusion 5.1

      Correction selling assets to raise funds for new assets

      • One Anonymous Bloke 5.1.1

        Too funny: a wingnut who actually still pretends to believe the lies.

      • maui 5.1.2

        Such as?

      • saveNZ 5.1.3

        @Red delusion – don’t you mean…

        Correction selling vital assets like power, water and state houses cheap, to raise funds for new assets using corporate welfare like subsidised development for malls, convention centers, oil exploration, pollution, desert sheep bribes and casinos.

  6. Amanda Atkinson 6

    Listened to Nick Smiths dismissal of this issue last night and cringed, it just really did not feel right. I grew up on a farm in the 1970’s and 80’s that had a river down the back, where my little Sister and I, and all kids from our Local iwi spent the whole summer swimming together. I don’t know if that river is still swimmable or not, I havent been there for over 20 years, but if it isn’t, that would break my heart. Shame on you Nick Smith.

    • One Anonymous Bloke 6.1

      Cringing: the first stage in denial of personal responsibility.

      Don’t worry, you’ll be back to your weasel words against the Left soon enough.

    • Jones 6.2

      I can remember in the late 70s/early 80s, growing up in Masterton, the many creeks around used to be crystal clear and we’d go looking for freshwater crayfish and eels… and they were abundant.

      Went back about 5 years ago and I was appalled at the state of the creeks… brown and lifeless.

  7. Tautuhi 7

    Nick Smith aint up with the play on housing and is definitely not up with the play on water quality, he is an apologist for whom?

    • Jenny Kirk 7.1

      Good question Tautuhi ….. We know ShonKey is just for the 1% and of course he was parachuted into his place by his 1% mentors … but why don’t the rest of the Nat Cabinet who have lived most of their lives in NZ and presumably they, and their kids, have done the sorts of things most NZers have done including playing/swimming in freshwater lakes and rivers …. WHY aren’t they concerned about the real state of NZ’s freshwaters ? What is it that makes them so blind to the deterioration of these waterways ?

    • miravox 7.2

      Nick Smith:

      I do get quite annoyed with people that want to run down New Zealand’s brand in a domestic argument about improving water quality.

      He’s an apologist for his boss and other people who see NZ as a commodity.100% pure vs Pissy little domestic water quality issues. pfft.

      The fair trading act will be the next to be reviewed/dismantled.

  8. gsays 8

    I want to echo the bravo to the youth and others for their leadership, courage, tenacity and commitment shown in the petition and hikoi.
    The question is what do the rest of us do next?

    • maui 8.1

      Wait for globalisation and international trade to collapse and then we can get on with repairing waterways. Because right now authorities right from local council to Government are part of the problem and are assisting private industries and farmers to pollute.

      • gsays 8.1.1

        so rather than wait for globalisation to end, maybe we help it to it’s logical conclusion.
        vote act and join federated farmers perhaps?

  9. saveNZ 9

    +100 – Good post. Also water quality transcends politics. A person from the right is just as likely to see this water quality as a problem like those in the left. The idea that the Natz just manipulate the water statistics and refuse to do anything about it, is damaging to their voters.

    Obviously the main issue is why would you pretend you have better water quality than you have and then say you don’t think being able to swim in waterways of NZ due to pollution is a priority?

    The Natz seem to think convention centers are more important because they are for tourists and not locals, the government does not see that having local streams and rivers polluted is worth worrying about it, as long a few are kept safe for tourists.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T12:50:04+00:00