Govt open to toughening water rules

The Government says it may toughen the law so more rivers become swimmable, but will not consider making it a universal goal.

At a public meeting on the future of freshwater in Christchurch on Thursday, Environment Minister Nick Smith said there was room to strengthen regulations to require more bodies of water to be made suitable for swimming.

‘‘I’m open-minded about strengthening the NPS [national policy statement for freshwater] to make it plainer the Government is wanting more water bodies to be swimmable.’’

Smith and the Government have been criticised for their position on water quality, which requires that all rivers meet a standard of wadeability, not swimmability.

Groups such as the Green Party have lobbied for a bottom-line standard requiring all rivers be swimmable.

Thursday’s meeting was part of a Government roadshow in which it presented its consultation document on fresh water.

Its proposals include requiring farmers to exclude stock from waterways and investing public money to clean up degraded waterways.

Smith returned to the notion of practicality throughout the meeting, arguing that a swimmability bottom line would not be achievable..

‘‘Any national rule I apply, I’ve got to be sure it’s going to work in every single community across New Zealand, because it is a strict legal requirement – this is not some washy aspirational goal.’’

Some members of the public challenged Smith’s stance, saying it was too conservative.

In a back-and-forth exchange with Smith, chairman of Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu Sir Mark Solomon argued that the law should be a goal.

‘‘Why can’t the legislation be aspirational?’’ he said. ‘‘Why can’t it be, that over time, all rivers become swimmable?’’

In response, Smith reverted to his practicality argument: ‘‘I’m all for aspirations, but I’m also for making sure those aspirations are real,’’ he said. ‘‘There are water bodies in New Zealand that have never been swimmable . . .’’