An environmental lobby group says some dairy farmers in Canterbury have to "up their game", if they are to win the community's support.
The Canterbury Water Rights Trust says 20% of dairy farmers had breached effluent discharge standards set by Canterbury Regional Council, for four years.
Chairman Murray Rogers says farmers need to demonstrate a greater commitment to the environment, before the wider community will support its pleas for more water.
He was speaking at a National Party briefing on the contentious issue of the region's water on Friday night.
However, most speakers were confident that farmers in Canterbury and environmentalists can reach an agreement on irrigation.
