Restoring mana to our water ways
National believes we can support economic growth and look after our natural environment simultaneously. The Government has set a target of 90 per cent of New Zealand’s lakes and rivers to meet swimmable water quality standards by 2040. This compares to a current standard of 72 per cent. The goal to improve water quality is estimated to cost the Government, farmers and councils $2 billion over the next 23 years.
This is on top of the $140 million already committed by the Government to be spent on specific river and lake clean-ups. We need to recognise the massive environmental improvements that farmers have made in recent times. In the last five years it’s estimated that farmers have spent over $1 billion of their own money towards environmental measures on farm, with around 98 per cent of dairy waterways fenced off. Farmers care deeply about leaving a good legacy for their children. National welcomes the high level of commitment from farming leaders on collectively addressing these long term issues. We are also committed to ensuring New Zealand businesses whose emissions are a big part of their costs are not disadvantaged compared to their international competitors. National will not bring farmers into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
- No response was received by Labour candidate for Hamilton West Gaurav Sharma.
JAMIE STRANGE
Labour will restore our rivers and lakes to a truly swimmable state within a generation. A number of advances have been made in recent years, however, there is still much that needs to be done. We will give our regional councils the resources to clean up their waterways through charging a royalty on the commercial consumption of water. Households and councils will not pay any water royalty. The royalty for bottled water will be based on a per litre price, and the royalty for irrigation water will be based on roughly 1 or 2 cents per 1000 litres. It will be proportionate and fair. Hamilton has the potential to be a powerhouse of light manufacturing and information technology services.
These have a small environmental footprint, pay well, and can be powerful export earners. Cleaning up our rivers and lakes will require more sophisticated farming methods that rely less on ever-higher stocking levels and are more focused on value-add. Within five years, all intensively stocked land near waterways will need to be fenced with setbacks for riparian planting to filter and absorb silt and nutrients before they can flow into the water. Labour will help farmers and other owners of waterways with fencing a riparian planting through our Ready for Work programme.
This programme will employ young people off the dole, and give the opportunity to gain work experience and income while helping to improve the environment. The young people employed through Ready for Work will be able to work on fencing waterways, riparian planting, and other work to improve water quality. Riparian planting will qualify for carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
SAM TAYLOR
It is viable and essential that we protect our rivers, lakes and aquifers and retain their ecological integrity. Water is a taonga and we must protect it. New Zealanders are concerned about the state of our fresh water. The Green Party will make aquifers a matter of national importance to protect our springs, groundwater and underground water sources.
There is a really significant opportunity lost to New Zealand (and the world) when environmental sustainability and economic development is seen as being in conflict with one another, when in reality the greatest possibilities for economic development exist within the context of environmental sustainability.