Sage Eugenie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Sage Eugenie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:678;Page:978] 
4. 
EUGENIE SAGE (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for the Environment 
: Is water quality in New Zealand being negatively affected by livestock in rivers and lakes? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 Yes. That is why I welcome the progress in getting more rivers and lakes fenced. Just this last weekend the Prime Minister announced at the Bluegreens Forum another $8 million of funding for improving water quality. Included in this package is a one-third contribution for farmers to fence 200 kilometres of New Zealand’s most polluted river and its tributaries in the Manawatu.  
Eugenie Sage 
: Is it acceptable that as of June 2012 only two regional councils will prohibit intensively farmed livestock from accessing rivers and lakes? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I do think there is a real challenge for our regional councils to meet their requirements under the new national policy statement that this Government put in place last year that requires councils to set limits and included in that is the issue of fencing waterways. Further to that the Land and Water Forum which is a very constructive engagement of a broad range of groups is due to report back to the Government this month on the other steps that are required to ensure that we properly do set limits in the measures to protect water quality. 
Eugenie Sage 
: Given the ad hoc way in which regional councils try to control water quality degradation from stock access will he not provide national consistency by implementing a national environmental standard to keep livestock out of rivers? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I am open-minded about using the additional tool of a national environmental standard but my concern more generally around water quality is that there have been highly polarised arguments between different groups. I think the fact that we have 58 groups engaging in the Land and Water Forum and actually coming to agreement at a national level about the measures that are required in my view is the constructive way forward. This month I am due to receive the report on the very issue that the member is rightly concerned about. 
Eugenie Sage 
: If the Land and Water Forum does recommend a national environmental standard on riparian fencing for stock will he implement that or will it be like the national policy statement that the forum recommended which will be substantially different from that which the forum recommended? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: I must set the record straight for the member. The Government did respond consistently with the Land and Water Forum around the national policy statement except in the area where the Crown Law Office advised us that we would be acting unlawfully. It is not my habit as a Minister to do that knowingly. It is a hypothetical question about the way in which we will respond to the Land and Water Forum but I want to reassure the member that this Government is firmly committed to that collaborative process and providing those measures are practicable then quite clearly we would want to advance the forum’s recommendations. 
Jacqui Dean 
: What reports has the Minister received on progress in improving water quality in Canterbury before and after the appointment of commissioners? 
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: Yes I have received reports and they show that in the period prior to 2009 Canterbury had one of the worst records of compliance with resource consents and in fact it was deteriorating in the previous year. I also note that in the year since commissioners were appointed compliance rates for resource consents improved to 59 percent in the first year and again to 65 percent in the year later. In fact it is interesting to note that the biggest improvement in compliance rates of resource consents of all the councils in New Zealand has been since we appointed commissioners in Canterbury.  
Hone Harawira 
: Does the Minister believe that the sale of New Zealand power companies to overseas interests before Maori claims to fresh water have been settled will have a negative impact on water quality in New Zealand particularly given that those overseas interests are likely to be more concerned about the value of their investment than the quality of the water in our rivers and lakes?  
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: The first point I would make is that there is no evidence as to the nature of the ownership affecting the way in which those property owners affect water quality. In fact we should note that CraFarm Group which has been the subject of significant controversy was a New Zealand - owned company and had an appalling record in terms of its management of fresh water. Can I further reassure the member that the Government is very committed to engagement with the Iwi Leaders Group around water and to improving the involvement that iwi have in the management of New Zealand’s water resources. I think that is shown by our commitment in the Rotorua lakes on the Waikato River and in the further four programmes we announced at the weekend where iwi are actively involved in water clean-ups.  
Eugenie Sage 
: Given that industry has already taken some initiative to promote the fencing of streams why will he not back that up by implementing a legally binding national environmental standard under the Resource Management Act to keep farmed deer farmed cattle and dairy cows out of our waterways?  
Hon Dr NICK SMITH 
: As I said to the member earlier the Government is open-minded about a national environment standard. The tension that I draw to the member’s attention is that there is a disadvantage to a national environment standard when you have got very geographically different areas around the country. Sometimes it is better to have stuff being determined regionally and locally; on the other hand there is the argument for just one set of rules nationwide. We will be listening very closely to the advice from the Land and Water Forum on what the best way forward is but can I reassure the member this Government is firmly committed to improving New Zealand’s freshwater management and quality. 
Eugenie Sage 
: I seek leave to table two photographs emailed to me by Northland citizen Millan Ruka of stock beside the Wairua River and another Northland river.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table these photographs. Is there any objection? There is objection.