MEDIA RELEASE

LGNZ Welcomes New Dairy Accord

9 July 2013

Local Government New Zealand has welcomed the new Sustainable Dairying: Water Accord released at Parliament today.

The Accord, which involves two tiers of “accountable” and “supporting” partnerships between a number of dairy industry bodies and agri-businesses, also lists 15 regional and unitary councils as “Friends of the Accord.”

It specifies targets in, for example, containing dairy effluent, more efficient use of water in farm irrigation and washing down cow sheds; and maintaining phosphorous and nitrogen levels in paddocks. It will be reviewed every five years.

LGNZ’s Regional Sector Spokeperson, Fran Wilde, said the new Accord reflects a welcome degree of co-operation across the dairy industry and is a vehicle for all the signatories to deliver common objectives, each playing its own role.

“LGNZ and the regional and unitary councils involved look forward to working with the industry in ensuring environmental standards associated with water quality and land use are maintained and built on.”

The Accord was developed under the oversight of the Dairy Environment Leadership Group, a coalition of farmers, dairy companies, central government agencies, regional councils and the Federation of Māori Authorities.

ENDS

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