Government backs steps to protect Lake Taupo

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton and Environment Minister David Benson-Pope today welcomed measures proposed by Environment Waikato to help protect the quality of the water in Lake Taupo, adding that the findings of the Lake Taupo Panel of Commissioners send a strong signal to the rest of New Zealand.

Nutrient flows into the lake are affecting its viability and Environment Waikato announced today it is proposing to cap nitrogen levels in the lake, and to reduce manageable discharges in the lake's catchment by 20 percent over 15 years.

"This is exactly the kind of issue Government is addressing through the Sustainable Water Programme of Action," Jim Anderton said. "Agriculture depends on water, and New Zealand depends on agriculture. Managing nutrient flows into water is absolutely crucial for both the reputation of our exports, and as a 100% Pure tourist destination."

“While many farmers have improved their practices, we agree there are still too many cases where high levels of nitrogen and effluent are seeping into our precious rivers and lakes unnecessarily," David Benson-Pope said. "We congratulate Environment Waikato for taking action."

Environment Waikato is seeking a regulatory approach that will place strong incentives on landowners in the catchment to control the amount of nitrogen run off. It is proposing a variation to its regional plan (Variation 5), which includes a rule about spreading animal waste on land.

Environment Waikato will also work with landowners to find ways to reduce the amount of manageable (almost 90% of the total) nitrogen flowing into the lake. This work is being conducted through the Lake Taupo Protection Trust, which recently received $81.5million from central government, Environment Waikato and the Taupo District Council.

“Today’s findings by the Commissioners send a signal to all regional councils to address nitrogen issues,” David Benson-Pope said. “The Government does not accept the proposition that all land use should require a resource consent, but we believe controls are justified where sensitive catchments such as Taupo are involved.”

“Of course, most non-point source discharge in New Zealand does not require a resource consent," Jim Anderton said. "Normal land use, whether from native forests to the most intensive agriculture, causes leaching, but this has always been treated as a land use."

"But this finding highlights the need for councils to address the issue of leaching in sensitive catchments by planning land use in a way that doesn't harm our environment."

“Regional councils must define what types of land use in each catchment are permitted activities, and which need to be controlled. In this respect Environment Waikato is leading the way,” David Benson-Pope said.

“There is a great deal that farmers can and are doing about these problems, beginning with nitrogen budgeting and fencing riparian areas, and going on to nutrient management plans and the use of nitrogen inhibitors – all of which can be shown to improve farm productivity and profitability,” Jim Anderton said.

“As the Chairman of AgResearch, Rick Christie, pointed out to Parliament’s Primary Production Select Committee yesterday, farmers can already reduce their environmental impacts and improve productivity by using the new techniques and technologies available to them.”