Until now farmers, specifically dairy farmers, have been cast as the villains degrading our waterways with the predominantly urban critics and media largely ignoring the state of rivers and the coastline in our main centres.
But last month it was revealed Auckland beaches have been closed and urban creeks degraded by millions of litres of raw sewage overflowing the city’s strained drainage system and ending up in to the harbour each year. It will take billions of dollars and 20 years to fix but will still not stop all the waste reaching the harbour. This is not an issue peculiar to Auckland.
Similarly, it appears the contamination of Havelock North’s water supply was caused by sheep faeces and an unprotected bore head and not dairy cows as was widely touted.
While these revelations will not surprise farmers, this is an opportunity for them to show leadership, to put aside the constant criticism they have endured about their impact on waterways and their largely ignored efforts to address those issues.
This is a chance for farmers to lead the debate, to say water degradation is a New Zealand issue. We need to stop the blame game and address the issue as one, not as a rural or urban community. Farmers need to look beyond those most voracious farm critics, Massey University fresh water ecologist Mike Joy and Fish and Game NZ and find community groups willing to tackle water quality problems rather than continue playing the blame game.
Joy’s credibility has justifiably been questioned by calls to stop farming cattle, his claims of $15 billion to clean up waterways and saying dams were not a solution for drought. Constant attacks by Joy and Fish and Game have damaged their relationship with farmers but hopefully farmers will forgive and forget and everyone will get on and solve this most pressing problem.
