Fish & Game New Zealand

Prime Minister's renewed commitment to water quality welcomed

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Fish & Game New Zealand welcomes the Prime Minister's strong commitment to progress freshwater reforms to stop the degradation of our waterways and clean up our rivers and lakes within a generation.
Each year, the Prime Minister makes an annual statement to Parliament outlining the Government's legislative and other policy intentions for the year ahead.
Yesterday, Jacinda Ardern committed that in 2020 her Government will: "act further to protect nature by finalising the freshwater package. We know that the overwhelming majority of New Zealanders want us to act to clean up our waterways - so we can swim in our local rivers, gather mahinga kai - without getting sick."
The Prime Minister's statement also said that the: "Government's shared goal is to stop the degradation of our rivers and lakes, achieve a noticeable improvement in five years, and to restore our waterways in a generation".
Fish & Game New Zealand Chief Executive Martin Taylor says the Government campaigned in the 2017 Election on cleaning up New Zealand's waterways so that we can swim, fish and gather food from our rivers, lakes and streams.
"It is always difficult for a Government to deliver on a strong election promise once in office. That's why we welcome yesterday's strong commitment from the Prime Minister."
"The Government can halt the decline in water quality and improve rivers, lakes and streams with its new Freshwater National Policy Statement and a new National Environmental Standard, which are due to be finalised in the next couple of months."
"The only way the Prime Minister's promise can be delivered on is if the Government rejects voluntary management plans and imposes strong regulation that will protect water quality so our children's children can have a New Zealand they are proud to call home."

 

Posted 3 years ago by Richie Cosgrove

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