National, NZ First snub freshwater questionnaire
National and NZ First have snubbed a questionnaire from environment groups about where they stand on freshwater.
The green groups have created a scorecard based on political parties’ responses to what they call a ‘‘Freshwater Rescue Plan’’.
Some of the seven steps towards this are to withdraw public funding for irrigation, reduce cow numbers, instigate a polluter pays policy, and make regional councils report every quarter on water quality breaches and enforcement.
Three parties - the Greens, Ma¯ ori and TOP - back all seven steps. Labour scores five out of seven, but does not support a polluter pays regime or investing in an agriculture transition fund.
‘‘The Freshwater Rescue Plan has seven steps to save New Zealand’s rivers and lakes from overuse and pollution. It has broad support from organisations across the conservation, tourism, and public health sectors, which altogether represent about half a million New Zealanders,’’ Forest & Bird chief executive Kevin Hague said.
The ‘‘most telling aspect’’ of the scorecard was to see how many parties wanted to end public irrigation subsidies. Hague said the Government had spent half a billion dollars in public irrigation subsidies.
However the $500 million figure is not correct. In 2013 the National Government established Crown Irrigation Investments Limited (CIIL) to help fund irrigation schemes. It committed to provide up to $400m; so far $131m of this has been spent.
Irrigationnz has said the monies are not a subsidy, as farmers have to repay what they borrow, with interest. Last year the Government also set up the Freshwater Improvement Fund, a $100m-over-10-years amount that can be spent on irrigation and other projects.
Last week Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy also said CILL could now fund projects with environmental and economic benefits.