Public opinion on freshwater issues and management in Canterbury

Abstract

Water quality in some parts of New Zealand is degraded by agriculture. Streams, lakes and rivers are affected by an increase in nutrients and sediments that impact upon ecology, recreational users and raise concern over health issues. Further adverse affects are evident from the use of water for irrigation, the damming of rivers for hydroelectric power generation and industries that discharge into water. The impacts have been well documented in the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) State of New Zealand’s Environment reports (MfE, 1997; 2007). Certain issues have also received particular attention, such as water quality in lakes and rivers (Hamill, 2006; Scarsbrook, 2006), increased nitrate levels in groundwater (Ford and Taylor, 2006) and recreation values (MfE, 2004). In addition, there have been strong arguments for the implementation of environmentally sustainable agriculture (Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, 2004). In tandem, while many consider the quality of New Zealand freshwaters is adequate or improving, an increasing proportion of New Zealanders are of the view that water quality in lakes, rivers, streams and aquifers is becoming worse (Hughey, Kerr and Cullen, 2006; Hughey, Kerr and Cullen, 2008).