Lake Ellesmere swimmable?
A $700 million freshwater plan could ‘‘absolutely’’ help eventually make the polluted Lake Ellesmere swimmable again, says a scientist.
The Government is pumping $700 million into its plan to clean up New Zealand’s rivers and lakes.
Last September, the Government put out a raft of proposals for consultation, to stop the degradation of waterways and make them swimmable. About 94 per cent of rivers in urban areas and 82 per cent of rivers in pastoral areas are not swimmable, at least some of the year.
The proposals included requirements to improve freshwater by setting higher standards for swimability spots within five years and ordering councils to further manage and reduce, E coli levels and implement stricter restrictions.
Environment Minister David Parker yesterday released a package of reforms that set higher health standards at swimming spots, with rules for urban waterways to be cleaned up and new protections for urban streams and putting controls on ‘‘higher-risk farm practices such as winter grazing and feed lots’’.
It also sets stricter controls on nitrogen pollution and new bottom lines on other measures of waterway health.
Swimming
The Government is introducing a new national bottom line for E coli that is applicable at swimming sites during the bathing season. This change would mean efforts to improve E coli will be increased for swimming sites.
Stock exclusion
Stock exclusion rules have changed from a 5-metre setback from waterways, to a minimum of
3m at any point but existing permanent fences would be able to remain in place. Dairy cattle and pigs must be excluded by July 1,
2023; beef cattle, dairy support cattle and deer by July 1, 2025. Sheep remain excluded from the provisions.