Region’s waterways worsening

A national environmental report has not painted Southland in a great light, but the Environment Southland chief executive says action is being taken.

The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ combined to produce the Environment Aotearoa 2019 report, released on Thursday. The agencies are required by law to produce such a report every three years.

The 2019 report says New Zealand’s environment is in a precarious state and facing an overwhelming number of threats.

Southland had worsening nitrate-nitrogen pollution, as well as worsening trends for E coli in waterways.

On top of the nitrate levels, the report says 157 hectares of wetland was lost per year in Southland between 1990 and 2012, because of human impact on the environment. Farming and urban expansion had driven the clearing of forests and the draining of wetlands, as well as losses of habitat and decline in species. Southland joined Canterbury, West Coast and Auckland as the regions with the greatest number of wetlands lost.

Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips said that while the report painted a less than ideal picture, it was a good ‘‘call to action’’.

He acknowledged Southland had challenges but believed it was on the right path to maintain and improve the province’s freshwater and land.

‘‘There are many examples of people, industries and organisations coming together to improve the environment. We need to maintain and build on that momentum,’’ Phillips said.

He cited the Aparima Community Environment project as an example, where six farmer-led catchment groups work together.

‘‘Environment Southland’s land sustainability team have put emphasis on preparing farm environment plans and supporting landowners to move towards good land management practices.’’

To date, 806 farm plans, covering 330,518ha, have been completed in Southland.

To ensure Southland’s natural resources were in good shape, everyone needed to be part of the solution and the report was a timely remainder of that, Phillips said.

‘‘What we do in one part of the environment can have consequences in another and the New River Estuary is an example of how both urban and rural activity – past and present – has had a negative impact.

‘‘It also emphasises the need for a collective response through a mountains to the sea approach to improve the situation.’’