Farmers ‘need tougher rules’, Parker says

Minister for the Environment David Parker says environmental rules around farming are not tough enough because the majority of farmers are compliant but the problems are still not under control.

Parker was visiting farms in the Aparima catchment in Southland yesterday afternoon to see what actions farmers were taking to improve water quality.

More than 95 per cent of farmers were complying with environmental rules and plans in Southland yet the problems occurring in waterways were still not under control, Parker said. ‘‘It’s clear that the rules aren’t tough enough.’’

Most of the issues occurring in rivers, estuaries aquifers throughout New Zealand were the result of the increasing intensification of farming practices.

‘‘Too many of our rivers and estuaries have become polluted by sediment and nutrient.’’

In particular, Jacobs Estuary in Riverton had a build up of silt that has been deposited from the Aparima River over a decade, Parker said.

But Environment Southland chairman Nicol Horrell, who visited the catchment with Parker, said he believed Parker was impressed that the community was taking ownership of the problem of environmental damage.

‘‘It’s actually on the ground and in the communities and community groups that we solve the problem, it’s not through regulations.

‘‘I thought he was complimentary of the work being done in the Aparima catchment.’’

Southland Federated Farmers president Geoff Young, who was also at the visit, agreed.

‘‘I believe he thinks essentially farmers and the community need to take ownership and have taken ownership. They’re doing excellent work around the environment at Aparima – it was a very enlightening and very inspiring day and I think those that were there will go home and have a look at their own practices.’’

The purpose of Parker’s visit to farms on Friday was to see what farmers were doing right to address the problems that were occurring.

On the farms Parker had visited he saw farmers were addressing issues through improvements like riparian planting, developing miniwetlands to catch sediment during rain events and carefully managing winter grazing to avoid runoff, he said. About 30 people who had turned out yesterday showed the complexity of the situation but also the effort being made to overcome the challenges.

Parker said farmers were concerned about the problems that were occurring in Southland waterways.

The solution to improving waterways would lie in using science to develop best practice to achieve environmental bottom lines that New Zealanders would expect.

Parker was grateful for the time farmers had taken out of their day to show him what they were doing on their farms.

Once communities saw progress being made, Parker believed they would come to understand it would take time to get the environment into a good place.

Colac Bay farmer Ewen Mathieson said he and other farmers were really appreciative that Parker had come and had a look at what efforts the farmers were making. ‘‘As farmers, we do acknowledge we are a problem and we are doing what we can to mitigate what we can.’’

It was a difficult situation and there was a range of things that had to happen to address the problems that were occurring in the environment, Mathieson said.

Labour MP Liz Craig said it was great to see so many farmer-led catchment groups popping up across Southland.

‘‘Too many of our rivers and estuaries have become polluted by sediment and nutrient.’’ Minister for the Environment David Parker