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June 01, 2022
Dairy pollution hurting Canterbury mana whenua
Peter Verschaffelt
Posted On June 1, 2022
Download AudioA freshwater ecologist says dairy farming has made water in large parts of Canterbury undrinkable – and it’s a particular problem for Māori.
Mike Joy from Victoria University of Wellington has been working with Ngāi Tahu to assess the region’s rivers, lakes and aquifers.
He says by allowing extensive dairy pollution the Crown has breached its Treaty obligations to look after freshwater resources and mahinga kai.
Its effects can be seen at the population level.
“That’s where the worst problems are, with the high levels of colorectal cancer and the highest levels of nitrate in drinking water in the South Island, so there is a real link there, plus the decimation of mahinga kai, the loss of all the fisheries that were once there,” Dr Joy says.
Mike Joy says the Ministry for the Environment and the Canterbury Regional Council have estimated it would cost $250 million a year in dairy farm income to clean up the water so they did nothing.
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