River water protest foiled by the weather
The Green Party had planned to demonstrate its opposition to the Government’s minimum river standards by wading into a Wairarapa river.
Current government policy on rivers is that they should be clean enough for boating or wading, not swimming, which Green MPs have said is unacceptable.
In the end, its Swimmable Rivers campaign was launched without the symbolic gesture, though its aims for cleaner water were still made clear.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei and a cohort of students decided not to brave icy conditions in the Ruamahanga River yesterday after heavy rain made it risky.
The Greens chose The Cliffs, halfway between Carterton and Masterton, for the launch. The spot is highlighted by Greater Wellington Regional Council as one of the most polluted stretches, achieving only a D grade on its water-quality index.
‘‘The whole point of our campaign is to support the organisations, groups and councils who are doing great work to clean up the rivers and to expose National’s failure to make sure our rivers are safe enough for our kids to swim in,’’ Turei said.
Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president Jamie Falloon said the campaign launch was an ‘‘absolute publicity stunt’’.
‘‘In the last 289 measurements taken down [river] from the sewage facility, there has only been one that showed a dangerous level and it was after heavy rain.’’
GWRC statistics for the Ruamahanga River back up Falloon’s comments, with data showing only one instance in almost three years in which the river was unsafe for swimming.