Time bomb

Wet weather may be to blame for the poorer results seen last summer but other clouds are looming. Dr Kevin Parris of the OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate made headlines in September when he predicted the full impact of our current farming practices on water quality may not be seen for another 30 to 40 years.

In the same month, Auditor-General Lyn Provost issued a report critical of freshwater management by some regional councils and warned "changes are needed sooner rather than later". In Waikato and Southland, where there's been major intensification of dairy farming, the report found councils were not doing enough to reduce "known risks" to water quality.

One of the most well-known risks is effluent from dairy farms. According to a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry report, 16 percent of dairy farms nationwide have "significant non-compliance" with effluent-discharge rules. Waikato recorded the highest rate of non-compliance: 27 percent of dairy farmers in the region are failing to meet regional rules.

Water quality on the lower Waikato River has been found to be consistently "unsatisfactory" for recreation. The same goes for other waterways in the region – including those in Hauraki and upland Waikato. Monitoring by Waikato Regional Council also shows e.coli levels in the Waipa River are unsafe for swimming most of the time.

On target?

In May 2011 the government finally released a national policy statement (NPS) on freshwater. The NPS is a statutory document prepared under the Resource Management Act and sets high-level goals for freshwater management.

Regional councils have been given much of the job of achieving these goals. They’re required to set "water quality limits" for all water bodies in their regions and to specify targets to improve water quality. But they've got a generous amount of time to do it: 31 December 2030 is the date when the NPS has to be fully implemented.

The government acknowledges councils will need "guidance" and says further work is being done to support NPS implementation. There's hope the process will get a push from the Land and Water Forum (a grouping of environment, industry and iwi interests), which has been asked to provide advice on water quality.

Set up in 2008 by Minister for the Environment Nick Smith and Minister of Agriculture David Carter, the Land and Water Forum has previously recommended the development of binding national standards to tighten controls on contaminants entering our waterways. But the Government has yet to sign up officially to the idea.

Meanwhile, back in Waihi Beach the district council is applying to renew – for another 35 years – the resource consent that allows it to discharge wastewater from its treatment plant into Three Mile Creek.

Our view

• Poor water quality presents a very real health risk, particularly to young children and those with compromised immunity. It's also telling evidence of lax environmental management.
• The national policy statement on freshwater management is a positive step – but the timeline for implementation is generous. We agree with the Auditor-General that action needs to be sooner rather than later.