Greens welcome dairying fine, challenge Feds

green-party

Thu Oct 04 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Greens welcome dairying fine, challenge Feds

Thursday, 4 October 2007, 4:23 pm
Press Release: Green Party

4 October 2007

Greens welcome dairying fine, challenge Feds to do the same

The Green Party is welcoming a decision by Judge Thompson in the Whangarei District Court to fine a Mamaranui dairy farmer for persistent pollution of the Taita stream.

"Farmers, like other people, cannot be allowed to increase their business without addressing any increased pollution that results," Green Agriculture Spokesperson Nandor Tanczos says.

"If dairy farmers don't want to be seen as cowboys then they have to clean up the sector. This week's release of an Environment Canterbury report showing that over 60 percent of Canterbury dairy farmers are in breach of their discharge consents and around one in five are in significant breach should be a wake up call not just for farmers but for all New Zealanders.

"In that context I would expect Federated Farmers and other farmers representative groups to be applauding this decision. Their response to this fine for persistent and serious pollution will be a litmus test.

"We have to get more serious as a nation at supporting sustainable farming, and jumping on polluters. Good support for those who do practise environmental stewardship, as many farmers do, must go hand in hand with real penalties for environmental vandals.

"Subsidising agricultures greenhouse gas emissions as this government proposes to do, and turning a blind eye to pollution from dairying will do no one any good in the long run," Nandor says.

ENDS

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