The forum (LWF) has published its fourth report, outlining 60 new consensus recommendations for how this country should improve its management of fresh water.
It is calling on the Government to urgently adopt all of its recommendations from earlier reports.
LWF brings together more than 60 organisations including business, energy generators, environmental and recreational non-governmental organisations, iwi and scientists.
“Improving the management of fresh water is a critical economic and environmental issue for NZ. Now is a once in a generation chance to address it in full,” forum chairman Alastair Bisley said.
“The recommendations from our four reports collectively outline a workable and balanced system that will facilitate growth and innovation within environmental limits. It is now up to the Government to put these systems in place.”
One of the key recommendations outlined in the report is to exclude all large livestock from waterways to protect the water quality of rivers and streams.
“We have recommended a framework to exclude all cattle, deer and pigs from waterways on the plains and lowland hills. It is important that livestock are prevented from entering rivers and streams,” Bisley said.
Under the framework, councils will be able to implement further stock exclusions in areas of high ecological importance where national stock exclusions don’t apply.
The framework is designed to be flexible and implemented gradually over time.
The LWF report and its members can be found at: www.landandwater.org.nz.
