Hon David Benson-Pope
- 16/03/2007 - Agriculture Minister Jim
Anderton and Environment Minister David
Benson-Pope today welcomed measures proposed
by Environment Waikato to help protect the
quality of the water in Lake Taupo, adding
that the findings of the Lake Taupo Panel
of Commissioners send a strong signal to
the rest of New Zealand.
Nutrient flows into the lake are affecting
its viability and Environment Waikato announced
today it is proposing to cap nitrogen levels
in the lake, and to reduce manageable discharges
in the lake's catchment by 20 percent over
15 years.
"This is exactly the kind of issue
Government is addressing through the Sustainable
Water Programme of Action," Jim Anderton
said. "Agriculture depends on water,
and New Zealand depends on agriculture.
Managing nutrient flows into water is absolutely
crucial for both the reputation of our exports,
and as a 100% Pure tourist destination."
“While many farmers have improved their
practices, we agree there are still too
many cases where high levels of nitrogen
and effluent are seeping into our precious
rivers and lakes unnecessarily," David
Benson-Pope said. "We congratulate
Environment Waikato for taking action."
Environment Waikato is seeking a regulatory
approach that will place strong incentives
on landowners in the catchment to control
the amount of nitrogen run off. It is proposing
a variation to its regional plan (Variation
5), which includes a rule about spreading
animal waste on land.
Environment Waikato will also work with
landowners to find ways to reduce the amount
of manageable (almost 90% of the total)
nitrogen flowing into the lake. This work
is being conducted through the Lake Taupo
Protection Trust, which recently received
$81.5million from central government, Environment
Waikato and the Taupo District Council.
“Today’s findings by the Commissioners
sends a signal to all regional councils
to address nitrogen issues,” David Benson-Pope
said. “The Government does not accept the
proposition that all land use should require
a resource consent, but we believe controls
are justified where sensitive catchments
such as Taupo are involved.”
“Of course, most non-point source discharge
in New Zealand does not require a resource
consent," Jim Anderton said. "Normal
land use, whether from native forests to
the most intensive agriculture, causes leaching,
but this has always been treated as a land
use.
"But this finding highlights the need
for councils to address the issue of leaching
in sensitive catchments by planning land
use in a way that doesn't destroy our environment."
“Regional councils must define what types
of land use in each catchment are permitted
activities, and which need to be controlled.
In this respect Environment Waikato is leading
the way,” David Benson-Pope said.
“There is a great deal that farmers can
and are doing about these problems, beginning
with nitrogen budgeting and fencing riparian
areas, and going on to nutrient management
plans and the use of nitrogen inhibitors
– all of which can be shown to improve farm
productivity and profitability,” Jim Anderton
said.
“As the Chairman of AgResearch, Rick Christie,
pointed out to Parliament’s Primary Production
Select Committee yesterday, farmers can
already reduce their environmental impacts
and improve productivity by using the new
techniques and technologies available to
them.'”
