24 Jul 2008

No blanket bans urged under new water policy

6:44 am on 24 July 2008

Federated Farmers has urged the Government to avoid blanket bans on land use activities such as dairying that might be imposed in some areas as a result of a new national water policy.

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard ssued a proposed national policy statement on freshwater management on Thursday.

It's designed to provide a long-awaited national guideline for local bodies to protect and improve the quality of rivers, lakes and other waterways and manage the increasing demands for their use.

Mr Mallard says there's been great progress in controlling pollution from spcific points of discharge such as drains, but reducing contamination from ground water run-off remains a big issue.

He says it's clear that the current rate of intensive dairy expansion in some areas will not be able to continue unchecked.

But a farmer representative on water issues says planners will need to be careful in how they apply those sorts of restrictions.

as part of the consultation during the development of the national policy statement.

However, Federated Farmers says targetting the type of land use rather than the way it's applied and its impact is a very narrow approach and wrong.

But spokesman Hugh Ritchie, who also chairs a primary sector reference group set up by MAF, says the sector supports the general aims set down in the proposed policy statement for improving water quality.

The Fish & Game organisation supports the draft policy in principle.

But it wants to know what the national policy statement will actually do to stop the adverse effects of intensive agriculture, ensure sustainable management of erosion prone hill country, and protect water flows threatened by irrigation.

The Government has set up a four person board to handle the consultation process.