2. Freshwater Management—Irrigation and Water QualityCATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) to the Minister for the EnvironmentFreshwater Management—Irrigation and Water Quality2. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) to the Minister for the Environment: Does he agree with Radio NZ that fresh water is shaping up to be one of this year's critical election issues"?Hon Dr NICK SMITH (Minister for the Environment): Fresh water will be one of many issues at the election. The most critical issue is which party can provide New Zealand with stable government and a strong economy as well as being able to deal with longstanding issues like water quality.Catherine Delahunty: Will he support the plan presented this afternoon by NGOs Tourism Export Council New Zealand public health practitioners and freshwater scientists to improve our waterways; if not why not?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No. I give you one simple example: a complete prohibition on any water augmentation schemes would not actually deliver on the blue-green vision we have of improving water quality as well as being able to grow the regional economy. There are many schemes around New Zealand such as the Waimea proposal in my constituency which water quality scientists have said is essential if we are to reduce algae blooms increase minimum flows and have a better quality of fresh water.Catherine Delahunty: Does he agree with Dr Michael Baker of Otago University that water quality standards need to be tougher because "I don't think it's [OK] … in 2017 that contact with recreational water can kill you."?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes I agree we need tighter standards around fresh water. When we came to Government there were no national policy statements there were no environmental standards and that is why I am so proud of our Government's record in making real progress on these important issues.Todd Barclay: What progress has this Government made in improving fresh water management?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Firstly we have lifted the proportion of water takes that are metred from 20 percent to 94 percent. Our national requirement to set limits on water takes has resulted in not 20 percent of our catchments having limits on water takes but 80 percent. When we came to Government there was not a single catchment that had limits on nutrients; that is now over 20 percent. In respect of funding we have lifted the funding for fresh water clean-ups tenfold to $450 million and we have set out a detailed plan to ensure that 90 percent of waters lakes and rivers are swimmable by 2040.Catherine Delahunty: Given that the Canterbury District Health Board has said "there is a direct link between irrigation and increased adverse effects on water bodies" will he advocate for his Government to stop subsidising large-scale irrigation schemes that are killing rivers and aquifers?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: The example in Canterbury perfectly illustrates the difference between the Government and the member's party because the Central Plains scheme will enable those large volumes of alpine water to be used for irrigation and to reduce pressure on lowland rivers and streams that are of concern to the district health board. That is where this Government's approach based on good science and common sense delivers the sorts of water quality improvements that Canterbury deserves.Catherine Delahunty: Does he agree with his own ministry's report that nitrogen leaching into soil has increased 29 percent mainly due to dairy cattle numbers; will he therefore support a moratorium on new dairy conversions and a decrease in cow numbers?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: I do agree that nitrogen leaching is one of our most challenging issues in respect of water quality. When we came to Government there was not a single area of New Zealand where there was any limit on nitrogen leaching. We now have over 18 catchments where limits have been put in place—for instance in Lake Taupō and others. What I do not agree with the Green Party on is simplistic reductions in cow numbers or any ban on any further expansion of our agricultural industries because that will do harm to economies in regional New Zealand some of which do not have those problems.Catherine Delahunty: Will he address the performance of regional councils by requiring them to report quarterly on their work to ensure regulations are enforced?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: Yes. I have improved the accountability of regional councils. Where they have not performed this Government has appointed commissioners as in Canterbury—something that member and party opposed. We are also requiring as part of the review of the national policy statement for councils to report on progress on the implementation of the new policy around swimmability which specifically sets up reporting requirements on councils to achieve 90 percent swimmability by 2040.Catherine Delahunty: Does he agree with Marnie Prickett of Choose Clean Water that cleaning up and protecting our waterways needs political leadership and will he show some by adopting the freshwater rescue plan?Mr SPEAKER: Again there are two supplementary questions there.Hon Dr NICK SMITH: This is the very first Government that set clear targets around improving the swimmability of waterways. What we will not do is adopt a simplistic plan that says for instance that we will just simply cut cow numbers or ban any growth in agriculture which is a blunt and unsophisticated approach that will not serve New Zealand well.Hon David Parker: Given his answer to an earlier question where he asserted that he relies upon good science does he accept the written submission from the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society criticising his misrepresentation in his clean water 2017 proposals for E. coli levels for swimmability when they said about those statements "Such statements about the proposed guidelines are misleading and should be removed." and is this not a further blow to his credibility?Hon Dr NICK SMITH: No. I said to this Parliament that the swimmability standard that we have set was based on sound science. That has subsequently been backed up by a comprehensive report by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) which I do have great confidence in as an institution. I also note that that report says that the grading system that this Government has proposed for our lakes and rivers is tougher than that applied to the European Union which is the only other jurisdiction that actually grades water quality for swimmability.Hon David Parker: I seek leave to table the submission from the fresh water scientists that says that the new standards are lower than the USA standards and that the Minister has—Mr SPEAKER: I just need to know—has that submission been presented publicly or to a select committee?Hon David Parker: It has not been presented to a select committee. It has been presented to the Government. It may be available on the web. I am not sure.Mr SPEAKER: No. Order! I have said to members before if they are going to be seeking leave they need to ascertain—because I will be asking the question—whether it is available publicly. The member should have taken the time to check that first."