Greenpeace’s protest action regarding the Rakaia salmon statue highlighted the destruction of the Rakaia Salmon fishery, but missed with its messaging.
If “Fonterra” were seen as a metaphor for agribusiness and Ministries such MPI and Mfe, then the protest action is on point. [DOC is simply MIA.]
The values the Rakaia River NWCO was enacted to protect were lost to agribusiness and irrigation.
It was the (non-notified) Canterbury Water Management Strategy and the constitutionally repugnant ECan Act 2010 that “unlocked” the Rakaia River flows.
An initially reluctant ECan was replaced with appointed commissioners who were accountable to the John Key government. Regional democracy was eliminated as was access to the Environment Court.
ECan managed decisions and hearings to consent water abstraction, and the Lake Coleridge Project (LCP), were “Fast-Tracked” without regard for the environment and the precautionary principle embedded in the RMA and Vision and Principles of the CWMS; “A cautious approach is taken when information is uncertain, unreliable or inadequate”.
Unfortunately the ECan Act resulted in uncertain, unreliable, and inadequate information in the form of affirmed “expert” opinion being presented to the commissioners deciding the LCP Hearing in 2012.
[As of February 2026, nobody has an in-depth understanding of the ecology of large braided rivers].
ECan as the regional council charged with the management of the Rakaia River flows were the final agents of destruction of the Rakaia River fisheries.
The town v country divide that exists in Canterbury stems from water use in this region and lax application of the Local Authorities (Members Interests) Act 1968.
It is disturbing that the ongoing RMA reforms our Coalition Government are rushing through, simply build on the Ecan Act model.
It seems I forgot to put my name to the above article.
This Greenpeace protest action has really stirred up a conservative rural community in local papers and on Facebook. Most comments are defensive or worse about the importance of irrigation and the dairy industry
I can’t recall one farming or District leader acknowledging the existence of the Rakaia River NWCO 1988.
Water Conservation Orders are the equivalent of National Parks.
In the 1970s the National government wanted to raise Lake Manapouri in Fiordland National Park to supply heavily discounted power to a foreign consortium building an aluminium smelter at Bluff. The furore by the people erupted into a major election issue at the 1972 election . Conservationists and the outdoor public were incensed.
Norman Kirk Labour’s leader homed in on the Manapouri issue and associated issues like trout farming and selling land/assets to foreigners and National were heavily defeated at the 1972 election.
The people spoke loudly.
Where are the people now?
Afflicted with the twin viruses oif apathy and inertia.
At this year’s election, the environment – and the water/rivers crisis – must be election issues!
Shane Jones and Chris Bishop, pull your heads in and support the public interest instead of trampling over democracy, the public interest, in your craze to exploit public resources.
ECan’s fall from grace started with the repugnant takeover of ECan by the John Key National government. The puppet commissioners Key installed gave the go-ahead to corporate dairying in a low rainfall area. The rush turned into a rush for irrigation and over-allocation of water. John Key, Nick Smith and the opuppets-hang your heads in shame.