‘We need to act now’ - Greens take off

New Zealanders had pride in their clean, green country, but that was becoming more tainted by the day, Green party candidates have told Southland constituents.

Clutha-Southland candidate Rachael Goldsmith and Invercargill candidate Rochelle Surendran spoke at a Green Party launch in Invercargill on Wednesday.

Goldsmith said Kiwis had pride in their clean, green country. ‘‘But it’s becoming more tainted by the day.’’

Polluted rivers, beaches and contaminated drinking water were endangering health and threatening native species, Goldsmith said.

‘‘If we want to be a nation renowned for our pure green image, something particularly important to Clutha-Southland, an electorate that hosts the most beautiful tourist spots in New Zealand, we need to act now, not in 2040.’’

She was proud of the many farmers in Clutha-Southland who had embraced sustainable agriculture, she said.

‘‘But it’s too late for my son’s normal Kiwi upbringing to include jumping in the local river, like we did as kids. Our goal in the Greens is to ensure that his children, my grandchildren, and your grandchildren, will.’’

Surendran said that, nine years ago, she and husband Nathan were living in the UK and had good jobs when the global financial crisis hit. Then they struggled to make a living.

Surendran said she was grateful for that experience because it gave her a taste of what many families experienced as a result of growing inequality.

The couple realised the only way to make a difference was to find a community that they could settle in to undertake action at a local level, she said. ‘‘We chose Invercargill.’’ Change this year was possible through the Green Party, she said.

‘‘I would love to see us double the Green vote in Invercargill.’’