Southland Regional Council is defending a report on waterways there.
It says the Southland 2010 Freshwater Environment report details important trends over the past 10 years and highlights the direct link between land use practices and poor water quality.
DairyNZ says the report is overly negative, but the Green Party says it paints a clear picture of declining water quality due to pastoral farming.
Council chair Ali Timms says she is disappointed with DairyNZ's response.
She says the council's goal is to improve water quality by 10% in 10 years, and the report calls for all groups to work together to achieve this.
