Watchdog’s report another bite at PM’s credibility

new-zealand-labour-party

Tue Sep 27 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Watchdog’s report another bite at PM’s credibility

Tuesday, 27 September 2011, 11:49 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

Brendon BURNS
Water Spokesperson

27 September 2011
MEDIA STATEMENT

Watchdog’s report another bite at PM’s credibility

The Office of the Auditor-General’s report, Managing freshwater quality: challenges for regional councils, is another blow to John Key’s credibility on water quality, says Labour’s spokesperson for Water Brendon Burns.

“In a report released today, our leading public watchdog has made it clear that New Zealand’s water quality is deteriorating and regional councils don’t have the tools to address the decline,” Brendon Burns said.

“The report reviews four regional councils - Waikato Regional Council, Taranaki Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, and Environment Southland. The Auditor-General outlines serious concern for lowland waterways and warns some damage is already irreversible.

“While acknowledging the harm to water quality caused in urban areas from industry, storm water and sewage, the report says many scientists are clear that freshwater quality is declining because of land being used more intensively, such as higher dairy stocking rates.

“The Auditor General says there is some way to go before we begin to halt or reverse the declining trends in freshwater quality.

“Councils are certainly not being given explicit signals to improve when the Government’s recent National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management gave them a 19-year time frame to comply and failed to introduce national water quality standards.

“Despite this latest damning evidence, Prime Minister John Key will maintain New Zealand doesn’t have a problem with deteriorating water quality and that New Zealand and international scientists are wrong. Now he can tell that to the country’s top independent watchdog as well,” Brendon Burns said.

ENDS

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