Donald Rod: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Donald Rod: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:627;Page:21906] 
6.  
ROD DONALD (Co-Leader—Green) 
 to the  
Minister for the Environment 
: What proportion of New Zealand’s lowland rivers and streams is she confident are safe to swim in? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Minister for the Environment) 
: 
 Data from the 2003-04 summer indicates that three-quarters of monitored swimming spots are safe for swimming. Having said that water quality in our lowland streams and rivers is poor which is something we are working to turn round. 
Rod Donald 
: How does the Minister reconcile the statement she has just made with the scientific results of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research study in 2004 that found all waterways in urban areas and 96 percent of rivers and streams in lowland farming areas had levels of E. coli that made them unsafe for swimming in and levels of phosphates ammonium and nitrates exceeding guideline levels in 65 to 90 percent of cases? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: Yes a National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research report found that 95 percent of lowland rivers were not safe especially to drink from. The institute then relitigated and re-looked at that figure and changed it to 83 percent. The report from which I quoted was in respect of three-quarters of monitored swimming spots. Ninety-two percent of all local government undertake recreational water monitoring and that is where that report and that figure came from. 
Dave Hereora 
: What reports has the Minister seen about managing water quality in New Zealand? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I have seen a report that stated that the issue of water quality should be dealt with nationally rather than regionally. For us to centralise all the water-related activities of regional councils not only would reduce the quality of informed decision-making but could cost taxpayers between $35 million and $50 million per year. The idea came from the Hon Nick Smith National’s environment spokesperson and it is yet another policy that would not add up if it was intended to give all New Zealanders a $50 tax break. 
Rod Donald 
: Will the Government introduce a national policy statement on water and a national environmental standard for water quality as we have for air quality which would require no further deterioration and a steady improvement in water quality and leave it up to the regions to determine what activities would be encouraged or discouraged to meet that standard? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: As the member is aware we are in the middle of work on the Water Programme of Action. That programme lies around questions of water quality. It is not particularly easy when we come to make decisions about who is responsible for land use and for non - point source pollution—as in nitrates—and about what that may do to the right of farmers to use their land. 
Peter Brown 
: Will the Minister for the Environment take a few moments to explain the logic behind opening up land for people to have access to rivers some of which are fast-flowing dangerous and of poor water quality yet prohibiting the farmer who has the land from opening up his or her swimming pool? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I find that extremely hard. It is a question about access rather than a question about water quality. 
Jeanette Fitzsimons 
: What is the Minister prepared to do to require regional councils to lift their game in their management of rivers under the Resource Management Act given the report of the Auditor-General who told the Local Government and Environment Committee this morning that regional councils have unclear objectives inadequate monitoring and do little enforcement of compliance and that river water quality is getting worse? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: Following the Auditor-General’s report to the Local Government and Environment Committee this morning I reported to that same select committee that the Resource Management and Electricity Legislation Amendment Bill gives the Minister for the Environment the authority and power to ask and demand of councils that they set appropriate standards for water quality. That is why work is continuing on the Water Programme of Action. You may think it is a mere talkfest but there are actually complex arguments around ownership of property and the ability to make money from farming. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Please do not bring the Speaker into the argument. 
Rod Donald 
: In light of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report  
Growing for Good 
 on the unsustainability of intensive agriculture what is the Government prepared to do to make the agriculture sector more accountable and to take actual responsibility for the adverse environmental impacts on the natural water quality of the country’s lowland streams and lakes? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: We recognise the problems the member is raising and I have to say it is something we are dealing with. The example I give is the pilot work around Lake Taupo which is absolutely to do with nutrients going into water. In that case it is not lowland water; it happens to be a lake. What we learn from that work up there is very valuable in terms of working with the community to allow farming practices to continue but also lessening the amount of nutrients entering the water supply.