by Ben Hope
According to media reports Federated Farmers is lobbying the Government to quash present and future Water Conservation Orders (WCO). The move by Federated Farmers is centred on the Golden Bay’s unique freshwater Te Waikoropupū Springs.
Federated Farmers has also asked government to put a halt to a Tasman District Council plan change to strengthen the protection of the crystal clear waters of Golden Bay’s Te Waikoropupū Springs.
But in the broader picture it has severe ramifications for all waterways and in particular WCOs said Freshwater advocacy group Choose Clean Water spokesperson Tom Kay. Environmental scientist Tom Kay who holds a Masters of Science degree in Ecology, is standing for the Wellington Regional Council in the forthcoming local body elections.
“Water Conservation Orders provide
The move by Federated Farmers’ showed disdain for the protection of freshwater in New Zealand he added.
Tom
“It’s a disregard for anyone’s interests but their own short term ones,” he said.
It seems ironic that New Zealand depends on a “clean green/100% pure” brand to achieve export markets. For over ten years now, Tourism New Zealand’s 100% Pure New Zealand campaign has been a staple brand for marketing New Zealand to the world. But whether New Zealand should make such a claim at all has been put to the sword on several occasions. Back in 2011 on BBC programme “Hardtalk” John Key was left embarrassed after interviewer Stephen Sackur in forthright style challenged the Prime Minister about New Zealand’s clean and green image on which New Zealand tourism and export strategy prides itself. See https://youtu.be/
Then in the UK’s “Guardian” newspaper, author, environment journalist and Guardian columnist Fred Pearce, said New Zealand was falsely trading on a self claimed positive environmental image. Back in new Zealand, Sustainable Business Network event in Auckland, founder of 42 Below vodka and the current executive chairman of Ecoya Ltd, Geoff Ross, warned while there is massive opportunity for New Zealand in terms of
Federated Farmers own image will now be under scrutiny and is likely to be seen as “spiteful self interest.” The organisation has long vowed revenge over Fish and Games “dirty dairying” campaign launched in 2002. In 2011 Federated Farmers successfully lobbied the government to have Canada geese removed from the statutory list of game birds.
Fish and Game and communities have fought for iconic rivers and lakes against threats from damming, irrigation and other exploitation and WCOs were designed and introduced to protect them. When the resource management system was overhauled in 1991 the WCO system was considered vital and it was brought through into the RMA.
The race between wisdom and waste may be
Federated Farmers public image will not be enhanced in the eyes of the general public. Many environmentally inclined farmers will no doubt be very uneasy.
There is no room for apathy. Tom Kay is showing the way by getting into politics, his feet under the table around which decisions are made. Dr Peter Trolove, immediate past president of NZ Federation of Freshwater Anglers is standing for Environment Canterbury (ECan.) Both deserve the strongest public support.
Their step forward into politics should encourage others to get involved too.
“Politics is nothing more than cause and effect.”
Great article. Dealing with that sort of Fed Farmers leadership is a bit like telling Israel that nobody will notice if you nuke Gaza. They are “nuking” the water supplies up and down the country. Well done Ben Hope.
Federated Farmers have a long history of attacking National Water Conservation Orders. This is due to the benefits farmers gain from the use of water – a public resource. An EDS webinar I viewed today estimated NZ farmers gain $700 million from the “free” use of water annually as a direct subsidy to their farming operations. Across New Zealand irrigation is estimated to benefit farmers to the tune of $2 billion annually.
It is little wonder Federated Farmers have made direct alliances with the minority parties of the coalition government in the form of list MPs and through its donations to these “sympathetic” political parties.