Norman Russel William: Ngati Tuwharetoa Raukawa and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill — First Reading 
Norman Russel William: Ngati Tuwharetoa Raukawa and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill — First Reading 
[Volume:665;Page:12812] 
Dr RUSSEL NORMAN (Co-Leader—Green) 
: 
 Tena koe Mr Assistant Speaker Barker. I rise to speak on behalf of the Green Party in support of the Ngati Tuwharetoa Raukawa and Te Arawa River Iwi Waikato River Bill. This is a very important bill not only for the protection of the river but also for restoring the mana of the Waikato River iwi and the Green Party is very pleased to be standing tonight to support this bill. 
It is a remarkable fact about the Waikato River that there is 14 metres of visibility at Lake Taupo but by the time we get to the mouth of the river the visibility is reduced to less than 1 metre. The reason is that the Waikato River is tremendously polluted. Any steps that can be taken to clean up the river and that make any difference to cleaning up the river are tremendously important. They are important not only for the mana of the Waikato River iwi but also for the health of the river itself. 
We cannot save a river unless we start with where a river starts and a river starts in the catchment—in the soils in the land and in the treatment of that land. The vast majority of contaminants in the river do not originate from point sources. It is not the sewerage systems that contribute nitrogen and phosphorous to the river; it is the farmland. It is a simple fact that more than 75 percent of all the nitrogen in the Waikato River comes from non - point source pollution and not from point source pollution. If we want to control the pollution in the river we must have control over the activities in the catchment that are adding the pollution to the river. Overwhelmingly the pollution in the river is coming from farming and agricultural intensification and activities. That is a simple scientific fact. 
Although it is tremendously important that this bill gives the river iwi the right to have someone on the consent hearings committee the simple fact is that the vast majority of the pollution that enters the river never goes anywhere near a consent hearing because it is a permitted activity. Until we are willing to regulate intensified farming activities and make them activities that can be consented rather than permitted activities neither the public of New Zealand more generally nor the river iwi will have a say over the vast majority of the pollution that currently enters the river system. The vast majority of the nitrogen phosphorous and sediment that enters the river system enters because of permitted activities. They are not activities that require resource consents. A problem that is reflected from the top of the country to the bottom is that the overwhelming majority—more than three-quarters—of the contaminants in our river systems come from non-consented activities or permitted activities. 
If we are to address the real causes of pollution in the Waikato River and if we are to give the power to the river iwi so that they can take control of all the pollution and contaminants entering the river system we absolutely must make intensified agricultural activities consentable activities. Although it is fantastic that we are passing these bills that give co-governance and co-management arrangements to iwi there is a sleight of hand in this bill and the sleight of hand is that we are not giving full control over the catchment and the activities in the catchment that contribute the vast majority of contaminants in the river system. 
If Parliament was really serious about giving the river iwi full control to clean up the Waikato River which is something that the Green Party fully endorses we would go further than simply this bill. We would go further by ensuring control over the activities that are putting the pollution into the river system which includes the Waikato River the Waipawa River and the other river systems in the Waikato such as the Piako River and the Waihou River—all of those river systems that are terribly polluted right now from activities that are not consented. They are permitted activities under the Resource Management Act. There is no reason to get resource consent to pollute the Waikato River; it is allowed under law because it is a permitted activity. Until we get our heads round the fact that the vast majority of the pollution entering this system is from permitted farming activities and not from consentable activities such as a sewerage discharge or a dairy shed discharge we will not address the pollution in the system. 
So I say to Ngati Tuwharetoa Raukawa and Te Arawa river iwi that this is just the first step. I fully understand the depth of their feeling about cleaning up their awa and their river system. Goodness knows we know that the existing structures to manage our river systems have profoundly failed to clean up this river system. All strength to their arm as they get hold of and some control over the real sources of pollution in their awa. It is only if those who love this river system and really care about it are able to get their hands on and get control over not only the resource consents around sewage but all the activities that are causing the vast majority of the pollution in the river system—all the permitted activities in the catchment—that those for whom this river is part of their identity will be able to clean up this river system. 
So although this bill is tremendously important the next step is much harder and it will require more than a small amount of money every year in terms of a clean-up fund. It will require control and regulation of intensive agricultural activities in the catchment to clean up this precious river. That is the real challenge that faces us tonight. So yes let us vote for this bill yes let us acknowledge the river iwi and their contribution but let us be under no illusions in this House that by passing this bill somehow the river will be cleaned up. 
In fact we are passing a tremendous responsibility on to the river iwi and those involved in the co-governance. The question is whether we are giving them sufficient powers to achieve what they really wish to achieve and what the Green Party really wishes to achieve which is to clean up the river system. That can be done only by getting our hands on the more than three-quarters of the pollution that comes from currently permitted activities which require no resource consent whatsoever. Those permitted activities add the nitrogen the phosphorous and the sediment into this river system that are destroying the life in this river system. Cleaning up the river system can be done only if we also give to the river iwi and the co-governors of this river system the power to have a say over intensive agricultural activities in this catchment. That is the next challenge. 
So I welcome this bill and I congratulate the previous Labour Government and the National Government which have been involved in this as well as particularly the iwi. But the challenge to clean up the river system is still great and that is the next step. Tena koe.