Ecologist takes TRC to task over pollution

BY KIRSTY JOHNSTON

An expert ecologist has again slammed Taranaki's environmental watchdog for glossing over reports showing the region's rivers are highly polluted.

But the regional council is sticking to its guns and saying the rivers labelled as the county's worst last week were done so out of context.

Dr Mike Joy, from Massey University, first voiced his concerns about the region's water quality six months ago when the council released its State of the Environment report.

At that time he was given a "tongue lashing" by the TRC for suggesting it had presented a skewed version of the facts.

Now, Dr Joy says the Environment Ministry report ranking the Waitara and Waingongoro Rivers among the worst in the country has backed up his accusations – and he's disappointed the regional council is still making excuses.

The report, a survey of 35 New Zealand rivers, revealed the Waingongoro River was the worst for nutrient enrichment and the Waitara River was the worst for water clarity and faecal contamination.

Council environment director Gary Bedford said in the rivers' defence, the data was from the worst of a year's monthly samples, taken in winter when people weren't swimming.

At the Waingongoro site, he said, the tests were taken below the meat works and sewerage discharges, so it was expected the nutrient levels would be worse there than at other sites.

However, Dr Joy said that having sewage plants and meatworks discharging into the water was not an excuse for having the most polluted river in the country.

"That's the reason why it's bad, because they've let people put sewage and meat in there. The TRC issued the consents for these and are supposed to monitor and enforce them," Dr Joy said.

He pointed to a paragraph in the Resource Management Act which states any effects from those consents must be avoided, remedied, or mitigated.

"The TRC are the ones whose job it is to protect the environment. Whatever they're doing it's not working."

The council were trying to kid themselves and the public, Dr Joy said.

"Our biggest problem is that people aren't aware how polluted the rivers are."

Mr Bedford said yesterday his position had not changed on the matter. The regional council did not feel the ministry report backed up Dr Joy's comments.

"There's no reason to assume that people are getting complacent, we think people are wanting more and contributing more to the environment," Mr Bedford said.

The council was continually urging farmers to lift their game through riparian planting and continually driving improvement, he said.

Mr Bedford repeated that the Eltham sewerage plant was due to completely divert to Hawera oxidation ponds by the end of November.

- © Fairfax NZ News