National News> Media Releases

12 March 2009

CLEAN STREAMS ACCORD STALLED

“The fifth annual snapshot of progress on the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord released today makes a mockery of the proposition that ‘education leads to voluntary change’,” said Bryce Johnson, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Fish & Game Council.

“The Accord has always been a stop-gap programme and fundamentally incomplete, is voluntary not mandatory, included less that 100% target, has no riparian buffer zone requirements, doesn’t deal to small streams, only includes Fonterra suppliers, and never focused on measurable improvements in water quality.  It is input focused, not environmental outcome focused.”

“Improvements since 2006/07 are measured in single percentage points, and the much promoted ‘highlight’ of 99% of Fonterra dairy farms now having nutrient budgets rings hollow.  Having a nutrient budget is like having diet plan, and of equal use if it’s not implemented.  Implementation data is not collected.”

“Of huge concern is the ongoing failure to see improvements in the straightforward compliance with regional plans and resource consents.  That less than half of dairy farms complied with resources consents in Northland, Waikato and Canterbury, and that less than 70% are compliant nationally is an indictment on the Accord partners.  Any level of significant non-compliance is simply not acceptable and no other industry or activity in New Zealand has such a lenient run.”

“The failure of the Accord can be laid squarely at the feet of the Accord partners, the Ministers for the Environment and of Agriculture and Forestry, and Regional Councils.  Fonterra, the other Accord partner, has at least begun to address the serious and readily treatable sources of freshwater degradation, has introduced initiatives and penalties to encourage supplier’s compliance, and is working on the ground with farmers and local authorities.  Small steps they may be, but are in stark contrast to the lack of commitment by central and most local government.”

“The quality of our lowland waterways continues to deteriorate.  Despite good work by many dairy farmers, the Accord has consistently failed to achieve its goal to ‘reduce the impacts of dairying on the quality of New Zealand’s streams, rivers, lakes, ground water and wetlands’.  Poor farming practices by a few, and foot -dragging by central and local government, are betraying the farmers who take their environmental responsibilities seriously, and all Kiwis.”

“The new Government must get off the fence and make environmentally sustainable best practice a mandatory requirement.  We can no longer gamble with the Kiwi brand.”

“The Accord is in urgent need of review, of upgrading to a serious mandatory environmental performance document across all dairy companies, not just Fonterra.  It needs meaningful engagement with environmental and farming groups, and Fish & Game New Zealand.” 

“Environmentally sustainable farming is New Zealand’s only viable future.”

ENDS

For more information:

Bryce Johnson
Chief Executive New Zealand Fish & Game Council
021 397 897

 
For further information on the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord, see:
Dairying and Declining Water Quality:  Why has the Dairying and Cleans Streams Accord not delivered cleaner streams?, by Neil Deans (Fish & Game New Zealand) and Kevin Hackwell (Forest & Bird) - available here