14 Mar 2012

More stringent stock rules introduced for Canterbury waterways

2:11 pm on 14 March 2012

Canterbury Regional Council is preparing to introduce more stringent rules to keep farm stock out of waterways.

From June, intensively farmed stock or any stock grazed on irrigated land will be prohibited from entering natural waterways in the region.

The new measures go well beyond the national Clean Streams Accord, a voluntary system that applies only to dairy farms.

The council's director of resource management, Kim Drummond, says it reflects public expectation about keeping waterways clean.

Mr Drummond says Canterbury is well ahead compared with regions such as Northland where the regional council says it has no powers to exclude stock from waterways.

Greens Party water spokesperson Eugenie Sage says the council's move is progress, but it doesn't cover all waterways.

She says only two regional councils prohibit stock access in selected streams.