5. Question No. 5—EnvironmentDr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister for the EnvironmentQuestion No. 5—Environment5. Dr DUNCAN WEBB (Labour—Christchurch Central) to the Minister for the Environment: What reports has he received on the quality of water in New Zealand's rivers and its impact on beaches?Hon DAVID PARKER (Minister for the Environment): The most recent official reliable report shows that more rivers are getting worse than getting better on five of the nine measurements. Additionally many in a static state are degraded. A major concern is that about twice as many sites are getting worse as better on the Macroinvertebrate Community Index measure which is of macroinvertebrates—those little critters—which is one of the best measures of the health of a waterway. The parlous state of many of our waterways also affects beaches and estuaries making them unfit for swimming and gathering seafood. Right now regional councils monitor 292 sites for E. coli during summer. For the sites with sufficient data to assess their quality about half are at times below safe swimming levels. Beaches in our largest cities like Wellington and Auckland are being repeatedly polluted by sewage. The status quo is plainly not good enough which is why we're taking action in both urban and rural areas.Dr Duncan Webb: What is the Government doing to improve water quality in New Zealand?Hon DAVID PARKER: We believe that New Zealand is not so impoverished that we can't afford to clean beaches and clean rivers so in the coming months the Government will introduce new standards to improve water quality in New Zealand. We've already made some announcements in the urban and more coming for rural. In summer we believe that New Zealanders deserve to be able to put their head under water whether it's in a river or at the beach without getting crook. We also need to ensure that New Zealand maintains and improves upon our clean green reputation to maximise the value of our exports in increasingly sophisticated and discerning international markets. These standards will be the outcome of years and years of consultation and discussion over successive Governments but it's this coalition Government that will halt the decline and set the country on the path to clean up our waterways within a generation.Dr Duncan Webb: What is the Government doing to improve water quality in urban areas?Hon DAVID PARKER: Despite a misapprehension or perhaps mischaracterisation by some the Government's freshwater plans have a broad focus on improving water quality in our large towns and cities. We do have serious water-quality problems in these areas. It's pleasing to see that Auckland is already undertaking a massive waste-water project that will reduce sewage overflows by some 80 percent. Other urban councils also need to step up and deal with this issue. I welcome the support of one Opposition MP who recently said in the Dominion Post that—and I quote—it's … not sustainable to look the other way." on improving our urban water infrastructure and it needs to happen urgently. I invite her to explain this to Jacqui Dean who says the opposite and to apply the same logic in rural areas.Rt Hon Winston Peters: In his drive to advertise the need to clean up our waters will he promise not to get into his togs and dive into the water like Nick Smith did when he was last in charge?SPEAKER: Order! Order!Hon DAVID PARKER: Togs togs undies! Ha ha!SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I can just get to the point of some responsibility on the part of David Parker for not subjecting us to that. So the question might just have been allowed but I did say "Order!" and indicated to David Parker that he should not answer and therefore he will stand withdraw and apologise.Hon DAVID PARKER: I withdraw and apologise sir.Hon Grant Robertson: As you should.SPEAKER: Yeah well not the only one."