Urgent action needed to restore Waikato lakes' health
Waikato is home to a diverse range of lakes, and experts say they urgently need better management and restoration.
The Green Party's list of the top 10 dirty rivers in New Zealand is farcical and brings into question their credibility, says IrrigationNZ chief executive Andrew Curtis.
The three rivers listed in irrigated catchments; Ruamahanga, Tukituki and Selwyn, when compared with the water quality of other rivers in these regions shows whilst they each have challenges, they are not the dirtiest.
"The true state of water quality in New Zealand can be gleaned from the Land Air Water Aotearoa website www.lawa.org.nz. This contains the most accurate and up to date picture of actual river water quality in New Zealand.
"The Porirua in Wellington region, Karamu in Hawke's Bay and Heathcote river in Christchurch all have worse water quality issues than the Ruamahanga, Tukituki and Selwyn," says Curtis
"The Greens are being mischievous with their dirtiest rivers stunt. They are trying to create a divide between rural and urban communities which is not good for New Zealand."
There are some huge water quality issues facing all of lowland New Zealand if pristine, swimmable water quality becomes the minimum standard.
"Just as farmers will have to invest in changing farm practices, rates will have to rise significantly in urban areas to pay for rivers to be cleaned-up to a pristine standard," he says.
Despite this cost, Curtis says the primary sector is actively embracing change. Adoption of good management practices, like stock exclusion from waterways, is the first step. "The continued evolution of precision agriculture is the long-term solution if we are to create a resilient and sustainable future for rural New Zealand."
"The goal posts for farmers have changed and there are now environmental limits in place or in the process of being put in place."
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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