Choudhary Ashraf: Environmental Protection Authority Bill — In Committee 
Choudhary Ashraf: Environmental Protection Authority Bill — In Committee 
[Volume:672;Page:18495] 
Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY (Labour) 
: 
 I appreciate this opportunity to speak on the Environmental Protection Authority Bill. I fully support what Dr Kennedy Graham said particularly in relation to the word “protection”. It is almost unbelievable that someone like the Minister in the chair Dr Nick Smith does not know better. I have gone with him to meet with the Institution of Professional Engineers and to discuss a lot of these issues. When he is promoting a bill like this where we are talking about a protection authority there has to be something in the functions of the authority that uses the word “protection” in regard to the environment. It is very sad to see that he has very limited objectives for this authority. 
In the 1980s I had the opportunity to do some research with the Department of Agriculture in the US. Part of that research was to work with the Environmental Protection Agency over there. That research related particularly to water—to groundwater and water management and soils. One of the important things that the Environmental Protection Agency did was to research and become involved in those issues particularly land-based issues. The US agency was established 40 years ago. One of its major functions is science research and development but this bill says nothing about research and development. I ask the Minister to take a call and let us know where the bill talks about research and development which should be part of the Environmental Protection Authority. 
This bill as I see it is all about fast tracking controversial projects. The authority has half a dozen projects before it right now and they are all related to development. They are not directly related to either the protection of the environment particularly land-based issues or to water quality. My colleagues have raised the issue of water quality and I am also really concerned about that issue. I am personally aware that major issues are developing around water quality and agricultural lands. There are two areas: the first that is being talked about nowadays concerns the dairy industry where the number of dairy herds is increasing but there is a whole lot of pollution runoff from the land that is polluting our water. At the moment there are no standards although I know the Minister announced something today about water standards. I still need to be convinced of what he is trying to do. 
Another particularly important issue is non - point source pollution. That means pollution that is coming from the farms particularly the nitrates and pesticides in the runoff from the land due to dairy farming and agricultural land that is used for cropping. In the horticultural area there is a huge issue. In major horticultural areas like Levin there is a major problem with the leaching of nitrates and runoffs. I have not seen anything in this bill that tells us what the Environmental Protection Authority will do about that non - point source pollution which is a major issue for our rivers. 
Members who have seen the Manawatu River after rain will know that a huge amount of soil comes through from the Wairarapa and through the Manawatu area. All that soil comes from the runoff from the land. I am personally very keen for the Minister to take a call on that issue and on other issues to tell us what the Environmental Protection Authority will do about them.