Young people want clean rivers and lakes

Press Release: Choose Clean Water Tour

Young people want clean rivers and lakes

Summer is officially here but many of New Zealanders’ favourite swimming spots are now too polluted to swim in. Four young campaigners for freshwater say the time has come for New Zealand to make clean, safe lakes and rivers a priority.

They announced today their Choose Clean Water tour, a month long project to document the stories of people around the country who have be affected by the degradation of their lake, river or stream. The tour will highlight the impact contaminated and degraded freshwater has on New Zealanders and will gather support for a petition to call on the House of Representatives to set primary contact or “swimmable” as the minimum standard for all waterways.

Marnie Prickett, spokesperson for the tour, said, “As it stands now, our rivers and lakes are allowed to pose a “moderate risk” of infection when people are wading or boating in them. That’s a crazy and very sad standard for our beautiful country. With two thirds of monitored rivers unsafe to swim in, we look ahead and see our laws must be strengthened so that freshwater is clean and safe for people and wildlife. It is especially important now as the Land and Water Forum conduct their review of freshwater legislation.”

“We know that New Zealand’s lakes and rivers are more polluted than they have ever been. They have become dirty drains that can make people sick and kill wildlife. The priority for New Zealand’s freshwater legislation must be the health of people and the environment.”

The tour is supported by the Tourism Export Council, Freshwater Foundation Charitable Trust and Freshwater for Life. It will begin in Taupō on 10 January 2016 and finish on 6 February 2016. The team for Choose Clean Water tour is Kyleisha Foote, Paul Boyce, Geoff Reid and Marnie Prickett.

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