Ashburton Courier: January 14, 2021

NEWS
Ashburton Courier, January 14, 2021
9
Compromise needed
on freshwater reforms
IAN MACKENZIE
ECan Councillor
I’d like to report that
after just over 12
monthsasyour ECan
councillor Ihave
sortedeverything and
the world or at least
this district is abetter
place.
Ican’t and Ihaven’tand it
isn’t!
The challenges we faceare
diverse and complicated and
politicians and their politics
tend to add to those
complications.
The biggest threat our
community faces is the raw
implications of government’s
Essential Freshwater reforms
(EFW).
The requirements of these
reforms in terms of meetinga
very low nitrate status in all our
freshwater bodies meansthat
farming of any kind on much of
the plains will have to stop.
Some extensive ranching
could be permitted.
The consequential loss of
hundreds of millionsofdollars a
year from our district’s economy
will have adevastating effecton
our whole community.
Richard Fitzgerald’s reportto
the Ashburton District Council
gave us awarning as to the
magnitude of that impact
especially on thosethat relyon
servicingruralbusinesses.
Not surprisingly leaders in
our community including our
national,regional and district
politicians, are working on
developing acase for some
compromise to the EFW in the
hope thatwecan persuade those
in charge to agree to that
compromise.
Compromise is important.
We needtocompromise
between allowing some of the
effects of human occupationon
our environmentand trying to
maintain ahealthy
environment. Without some
compromise then all past and
futuredevelopment, both rural
and urban may be at risk.
Think of the risktolife,
property and businessesiffor
the sakeofthe environment we
pulleddown the floodbanks to
let the Ashburton riverflow
wherever and whenver it likes.
This need for compromise was
evident at ameeting up
at LakeClearwater the
other day to discuss
what couldbedone to
address the problems
with the lake.
The lakehas flipped
to apoor stateafter
years of decline in
health. Mostofus
would have hoped and thought
thatretiring over90per cent of
the lake’scatchment to
conservation park fromfarming
13 years ago would haveatleast
halted the decline and
protected the lake but it hasn’t.
It wouldappear thatthere
may be multiplecausesfor the
decline; from farming in the
catchment to sewerage from the
village, warmer winters, the
effects of the floods up there 15
months ago, and legacy issues
fromback in time.
It may even be that shutting up
mostofthe catchmentin
conservation park has
contributed in various waysto
the problem.
The meeting, thatconsisted
mainly of across section of the
Ashburton community, was for
the most part constructive and
reasoned. They want to identify
whatiscausing the problems up
there by working with the
districtand regional councils,
theyalso wanttoensure that
theyare minimising their own
effects, and theywant to find
solutions.
Theywant to see the lake
return to ahealthy status but
theyalso wanttoretain their
ability to live in and interact
withall thatthe Ashburton basin
has to offer.
The wider Ashburton
community is no different. We
all wantboth aprosperous
economy and ahealthy
environment. If we push
economic and recreational goals
too hardthen the environment
may suffer.
If we pushenvironmental
goals too hard then we risk
destroying our community. We
need to compromise!
I’ll be tryingtoget those
compromises in some sort of
appropriate balance so that our
community can prosper across
all the wellbeings.
Your constructiveand
reasonedadviceand help to
achieve that is appreciated.
COLLECT
ALL 3
Useyour outdoor living areas all year round
SPEND $30 OR MORE AND
RECEIVE A FREE BEESWAX
WRAP. WHILE STOCKS LAST.
CALL FOR A
FREE QUOTE
• Warm &dry in winter • Stylish &permanent
• UV protection forsummer • 5year warranty
Call your local installer
BrentPatterson based in Geraldine
MID &SOUTH CANTERBURY
Freephone 0800 777 855 l www.archgola.co.nz
2128195
Promotion runs from 04/01/2021 -17/01/2021
Spend excludes tobacco, Lotto and gift cards.See foursquare.co.nz for more information.