Farmers' river move irks mayor
BY LAURA JACKSON
What do you think of Federated Farmers' decision not to sign the river accord?
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Manawatu mayor Ian McKelvie is considering cancelling his Federated Farmers membership after the group refused to sign a pledge to clean up the Manawatu River.
Farmers contribute to 80 to 90 per cent of the nitrogen levels in the river in rural catchments, fuelling algal growth and reducing oxygen levels, leaving too little for fish and insects.
Yesterday, the region's four mayors, industry groups like Fonterra, iwi and conservationists braved the biting cold to meet by the river to sign an agreement to come up with a plan to clean it up following years of degradation.
Federated Farmers representatives looked on but refused to make any commitment.
They stayed on the phone to members of the federation up until the last minute, debating whether to sign an accord that has come from months of private meetings with the river's key polluters.
But the final decision was to not sign the pledge to save the Manawatu River.
Their argument was the promise being signed was not based on sound facts.
Manawatu/Rangitikei Federated Farmers president Gordon McKellar said the agreement stated that the community had concerns about the river.
"It should have said `some' of the community," he said.
"It implied 100 per cent of the community was concerned."
Later in the day, though, Federated Farmers issued a release saying it might still sign the agreement, but it needed to talk nationally to its members first.
Mr McKelvie said the group's decision was extremely frustrating.
"There comes a time when we have to compromise to make progress."
The agreement wouldn't actually hold the group to any specific action, he said.
"It's about figuring out the next step, what the best course of action is.
"People have said the pact has been based on emotion, but life is driven by emotion."
Those who did sign the pact have given themselves until March next year to come up with a plan on how to fix the river.
The key polluters the Manawatu Standard spoke to after the signing didn't have any specifics on how they would go about fixing the river, many seeming to think they were already doing a good job.
Fonterra director Malcolm Baileysaid the company was already doing a lot to improve the river and wondered how sick it was.
Palmerston North mayor Jono Naylor said if research found the city's discharge was the main cause of the river's poor health, then the council would look at other options.
Horowhenua mayor Brendan Duffy said signing the accord was a good step but now the group had to make sure they followed through, though he had no specific ideas.
Mr McKelvie said Manawatu District Council's main pollution was coming from stormwater and sewage.
Bob Hina from the Rangitane iwi warned the group to not let the accord "be like another Treaty of Waitangi, where what was promised had still not been delivered".
"When this river started, it was clean. Our people drank from it, they swam in it, they fished from it, the people were healthy, now it's a different time."
Horizons Regional Council chairman Garrick Murfitt said he believed it was the first time in New Zealand an accord had been signed to save a river.
"We are making a promise to our community.
"Our children's children must have pride in this part of the region."
The independent chairman of the river forums, Richard Thompson, said the community needed to support the leaders.
WHAT THEY AGREED TO
1. Establish a collaboratively owned and implemented action plan by March 2011 ready for implementation by July 1, 2011, that will recommend targets for improvements, timeframes for achieving targets, identify actions and opportunities, and included indicators and monitoring methods.
2. Work together positively and collaboratively towards achieving their goals, which are to restore the river as a source of regional pride, make the waterways safe, accessible and swimmable, and provide good recreation and food resources, and have sustainable use of the land and water resources of the Manawatu Catchment so that it underpins the economic prosperity of the region.
They must also realise their vision that if the water is healthy, the land and the people are nourished.
3. Keep the community informed of their goals and progress towards them.
4. Advocate for their vision and goals.
5. Meet as a leaders' forum at least twice a year to receive reports on progress and provide guidance to those implementing the Action Plan.
- © Fairfax NZ News
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The biggest polluters are each and every township along the length and breadth of this once pristine river who put their sewage into the river. Most farmers are trying to clean up their act. It is high time our councils did the same and take it to landbased sewage systems. They are the people who should take the lead and stop blaming it all on the farmers. Palmerston North City Council are the biggest polluters.
Federated Farmers are beginning to remind me of the National Rifle Association in the US. That is to say this bullish lobby shamelessly uses its political clout to bend and stretch the laws of this country to suite their own ends at others expense. Unsustainable farming practices which are increasingly the norm have reduced holiday swims in the river, catching trout and flounder to a distant idyllic memory. I’m personally offended the dairy industry is denying my children the same childhood I enjoyed growing up in what in living memory was once a beautiful country.
"It should have said `some' of the community," he said.
"It implied 100 per cent of the community was concerned."
Anyone who isn't concerned by the state of the river is being willfully ignorant. Its attitudes like these that make enforcement and regulation necessary, rather than being able to work constructively with farmers to resolve the problem.
If it wasn't for the likes of Bert Judd, Christina and George Paton, to name a few and our environmental group Water & Environmental Care Assn Inc (WECA) which we all belong to, the problem of the Manawatu River pollution would never have been brought to the attention of Horizons or our district councils to this very day. They have all been in denial of the true state of the river since 2002. Hopefully this is start of actually physically getting in and fixing the problem. Stopping all point source pollution from entering the river. We owe it to our childern, our grandchildren and the Manawatu River. She is sick. It is about time we healed her.
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If they don't want to sign something voluntary and collaborative, they risk having something forced on them. No one wins, especially not the river. Shameful.