Luxon's War On Nature Opens Gate For More Dairy Conversion
Temporary rules that restricted the conversion of farmland to intensive dairy were in place until 1 January this year, to allow time for Regional Councils to implement the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management. This was effectively a stop-gap to prevent further degradation of lakes, rivers and drinking water.
However, the Luxon Government repealed many of those intended protections last year, blocked Regional Councils from implementing their own freshwater plans, and allowed the dairy conversion restrictions to be lifted without replacing them. BussinessDesk has reported that Environment Canterbury has approved several dairy farm conversions this year.
Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, "Everyone, no matter where they live, should be able to drink the water from their kitchen tap without getting sick. But this basic right is under threat by an already oversized intensive dairy industry that's set to expand further."
"Assurances made by Government Ministers that there would be no further dairy expansion were clearly a load of cow manure."
"They were happy to delay freshwater plans for Regional Councils, and repeal the few freshwater protections we had, but did not extend the stop-gap on dairy conversions. Now that dairy conversions have started up again, we have to ask how many more communities have to have unsafe drinking water before intensive dairy is reigned in?"
Nearly half of New Zealand's rivers are now unsafe for swimming, and 20% of the population could be drinking water contaminated with unsafe levels of nitrate. Emerging evidence shows that drinking water nitrate levels from 1mg/L are associated with a higher risk of some health conditions, including colo-rectal cancer. The largest contributor to nitrate contamination is cow urine and the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in the intensive dairy industry.
At water testing events run by Greenpeace in the Ashburton District last month, almost half of all bore water samples tested were above 5 mg/L of nitrate, a level linked to an increased risk of preterm birth. Several Canterbury town supplies are close to or exceed this level, including Darfield, Hinds, and the Oxford Rural 1 supply. The New Zealand College of Midwives recommends that pregnant people consider avoiding water above 5 mg/L for nitrate.
"We've already seen what dairy expansion does - unswimmable rivers and water that's unsafe to drink. It's now up to Regional Councils to step up and protect drinking water, lakes and rivers. And if they're unwilling, for candidates to step up at the Local Body Elections this year to get the job done."
"Environment Canterbury must halt any dairy conversion or intensification applications, at a bare minimum, and swiftly take action to protect the health of people and fresh water from dairy pollution."
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Otago Daily Times
25-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Drinking water still a risk: Greenpeace
Greenpeace says Gore is not out of the woods yet in regards to nitrate in the water, but the council says levels are going down all the time and are of acceptable standard. Greenpeace said in a statement it had tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth. The sample was collected on Wednesday and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation's standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science. While the township's do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there was still a risk to public health. Gore issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3mg/l for nitrate. It recorded 11.4mg/l. Greenpeace said the limit was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it did not take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. "We know the source of this pollution. It's the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers." Gore District Council critical services general manager Jason Domigan said the Water Services Act required all councils to provide water that was safe by meeting current drinking water standards. That set the MAV of nitrate at 11.3mg/l. This is in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, an international standard, and has, in recent years, been through various levels of scrutiny through parliament and the national drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai. He said since the sample on Friday, July 18 of 11.4mg/l, the council had seen a continuous decline in the nitrate concentrations at the East Gore Water Treatment Plant. Accredited laboratory results showed these were at 5.88mg/l at noon on Thursday. "The council will continue to monitor through additional sampling over the coming weeks as we calibrate new nitrate probes installed at Coopers Well and the East Gore Water Treatment Plant." — APL
Otago Daily Times
25-07-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Drinking water still a risk:Greenpeace
Greenpeace says Gore is not out of the woods yet in regards to nitrate in the water, but the council says levels are going down all the time and are of acceptable standard. Greenpeace said in a statement it had tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth. The sample was collected on Wednesday and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation's standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science. While the township's do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there was still a risk to public health. Gore issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3mg/l for nitrate. It recorded 11.4mg/l. Greenpeace said the limit was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it did not take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. "We know the source of this pollution. It's the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers." Gore District Council critical services general manager Jason Domigan said the Water Services Act required all councils to provide water that was safe by meeting current drinking water standards. That set the MAV of nitrate at 11.3mg/l. This is in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, an international standard, and has, in recent years, been through various levels of scrutiny through parliament and the national drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai. He said since the sample on Friday, July 18 of 11.4mg/l, the council had seen a continuous decline in the nitrate concentrations at the East Gore Water Treatment Plant. Accredited laboratory results showed these were at 5.88mg/l at noon on Thursday. "The council will continue to monitor through additional sampling over the coming weeks as we calibrate new nitrate probes installed at Coopers Well and the East Gore Water Treatment Plant." — APL
Scoop
24-07-2025
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Gore 'Not Out Of The Woods Yet'- Nitrate Level Linked To Increased Risk Of Preterm Birth
Greenpeace Aotearoa has tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5 mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends that pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth. The sample was collected on the morning of Wednesday 23 July and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation's standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science. While the township's do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there is still a risk to public health. "Gore is not out of the woods yet and we're concerned about the risk to pregnant people and babies in other rural communities. Many rural communities are experiencing nitrate contamination caused by intensive dairying. Gore was issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3 mg/L for nitrate. This was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it doesn't take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. "We know the source of this pollution. It's the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers. This is an industry that isn't working for anyone except for the industry itself. Dairy pollution is contaminating people's drinking water. Meanwhile, New Zealanders are paying through the nose for a block of butter at the supermarket." "But instead of taking action, Luxon's government has proposed weakening freshwater protections at the behest of Federated Farmers - which will worsen the drinking water crisis." "It's about time that Federated Farmers were accountable to the people of New Zealand. Fed Farmers are opposing every measure to protect freshwater, and they should do right by the rural communities whose drinking water that they and Fonterra have polluted."
