Originally published:2008-08 as AERU Research Report by Lincoln University. Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit and available at http://hdl.handle.net/10182/802
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).[Show full abstract]
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