Meka
WHAITIRI

Spokesperson on Water

7 August 2014 MEDIA STATEMENT

Labour’s water policy is for our kids not National

Labour has sent a clear message to New Zealanders with the release of its Water policy; we will clean up New Zealand’s rivers and lakes over a generation, says Labour’s Water spokesperson Meka Whaitiri.

“National’s Amy Adams is just plain wrong when she says the policy is ‘a pointed attack’ on rural New Zealand. We are making a truly aspirational target for cleaner water in both the countryside and our cities over 25 years .

“We are committed to encouraging the fair and efficient use of our precious public freshwater resource through a fair priced resource rental on large takes for irrigation. That is just being fair and cannot be seen as an attack on our farmers.

“We will adopt a National Water Policy based on the Sheppard report that will set standards and a timeline by which those standards will be achieved.

New Zealand cannot have a healthy economy without a healthy environment and healthy waterways play a critical part in New Zealand’s future. The bottom line is – we need to do more and to do it quickly if we are to turn around the decline of our water.

“Labour believes that the sustainable use of our water is critical to an ongoing agricultural sector and the protection of our rivers and lakes is vital. It is an important part of keeping the clean brand we use to maintain our share in our international markets.”

ENDS

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