Behind New Zealand's '100% Pure' Image lies a Dirty Truth | Foreign Correspondent
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- čas přidán 15. 03. 2021
- New Zealand’s clean, green image hides a dirty truth. Polluted by intensive dairy farming, its waterways are some of the most degraded in the world. Will the Ardern government clean it up or will the Maori step in?
It’s a toxic brew of dirty water and big business. And it’s jeopardising New Zealand’s ‘100% pure’ clean, green image.
New Zealand’s pristine landscapes and stunning vistas have made it a magnet for tourists and film directors. Its dairy exports have taken the world by storm.
But behind this success story lies a shocking reality. New Zealand has some of the most polluted rivers in the developed world.
Scientists blame the ‘white gold rush’ - the rapid expansion of the country’s hugely successful dairy industry, worth around $15 billion a year.
Correspondent Yaara Bou Melhem travels to the South Island of New Zealand to investigate an issue which is dividing communities.
She finds rivers contaminated with high levels of nitrogen nitrates, run-off from intensive farming practices.
In some cases, this run-off causes toxic algal blooms posing a danger to people and animals. It can make rivers un-swimmable.
“When you have excessive nutrients and sediments coming into the system, these blooms can really take off,” says freshwater ecologist and local councillor Lan Pham. “It just fuels this disconnection with the river.”
The Ardern government, which was re-elected in a landslide last year, has promised to clean up.
“I want our waterways to be swimmable again,” said Ardern in the lead up to last year’s election. “We’re putting in place standards that…stop the degradation.”
The government has introduced limits on the level of nitrates allowed in freshwater but these reforms have left no-one happy. Ecologists warn they’ve set the level too high and that this could be damaging to life in the rivers.
Many farmers claim the levels are set too low and will destroy the dairy industry.
“We will have a dislocation of thousands upon thousands of people,” warns South Island dairy farmer John Sunckell.
“Do we want to get rid of agriculture? It becomes that blunt with the numbers.”
New Zealand’s wealthiest Maori tribe has stepped into the stalemate. Ngai Tahu, whose territory spans a large swathe of the South Island, has filed a landmark high court claim over the freshwater in its tribal lands.
“There’s been a failure of government, there’s been a failure of the market and the only one standing with any credibility on this is the Maori’,” says the lead claimant in the case, Dr Tau.
It’s a huge battle over this most precious natural resource - freshwater - and there’s no end in sight.
About Foreign Correspondent:
Foreign Correspondent is the prime-time international public affairs program on Australia's national broadcaster, ABC-TV. We produce half-hour duration in-depth reports for broadcast across the ABC's television channels and digital platforms. Since 1992, our teams have journeyed to more than 170 countries to report on war, natural calamity and social and political upheaval - through the eyes of the people at the heart of it all.
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"When the forests are no more and the rivers, lakes and ocean are polluted, that's the time we realized we cannot eat money."
populations are ever growing mate, feel free to eat trees if you want.
But that dairy farmer employs 5 people and "puts food on their tables." How can you argue with that logic?
Money puts food on table , has done since humans started trading which is a very long time ago
@@TailoredReaction The most polluted rivers and waterways are around our cities not dairy farms.
@@stoppernz229 No! The forest, rivers and ocean provide your food, farmers harvest that food for your table, you slave ya ass off for money to acquire the food, but let us never forget! If the land rivers and oceans are sick? We will all suffer. Money is an idea created by men.
6 families putting bread on the table for massive environmental damage. Sounds like a real economic win for NZ.
Agreed. That fact stood out for me too. Even if it was 20 or 30 families, the environmental impact is disproportional to the benefit.
It all goes back to; too many people. If the world population was at a sustainable 500 million or less we wouldn't need intensive farming or any of the short sighted unsustainable industries that are the easiest way to support 7 billion people.
@@oktc68 💯. Been saying this for decades since I was a little kid. People tried to warn of this since my mom was a kid in the 60’s. Really the only people that bothered to care were the Chinese communists who unfortunately used rather undesirable methods to at least slow their growth. None of this will get under control until we drastically reduce human population.
And that fatty eats more pies than his actual workers.
@@TheGrindcorps but most of the dairy farms provide 1/3 worldwide exports, its not even for the communities. The farmers make bank.
This isn't farming only, I've grown up in one of the major orcharding regions in New Zealand and it's the same deal.
I've seen this erosion of the river qualities in south canterbury over the last 18 years.
I havent met a poor dairy farmer yet either.
Their farming is just too intensive mate. Should be 1 cow per 1.5 acres not .8 of an acre. The fertilisers are turning everything to shit also.
I live in New Zealand and I can confirm this, And its not only our fresh water rivers and lakes but so many of our beaches as well are unswimmable! It is a very sad truth!
What beaches are unswimmable?
@@chozenheart Check the gov press releases mate
@@chozenheart a lot of the beaches that are closed especially the ones in Auckland due to raw human waste being pumped out to sea
@@stewbird Also effluent from the city. While apparently within safety limits, maintenance crews doing work on Auckland Harbour Bridge back in 2010 managed to spill various heavy metals into a nearby park. Locals only found out about it last year.
That's sad
Do one on Norway's water too. So much nasty farming runoff and salmon farms. There is coastal darkening here which affects coastal ecosystems. Norway is very good at hiding its ecological disasters and its biggest asset, oil.
Norway constantly preaches to the world how green and eco friendly it is when they (Equinor) drill offshore and destroy other countries environments. Hypocrisy on so many levels.
Sneaky vikings. Deep down, the genetic coding of a Norwegian is to invade Britain.
@@bearanov and we all know what their British offsprings did to the rest of the World. New Zealanders are also the Norwegian seed!
What is some names of these regions ? Would be interesting to research more
@@biggiedii4889 They are a "green" country, as long as the oil is burned elsewhere.
I just saw this & passed it on to others in the company I work for. We are a relatively small bunch, but are rapidly expanding. We make real dairy proteins without the cows, which means we eliminate the fertilizer & urine saturated pastors, the methane, the enormous water & land use. We are working to replace dairy farms with something better for our planet. & our dairy products are vegan!
As a Kiwi that has traveled NZ extensively this sounds exactly right in what's happening.
I'm a fish keeper at home and if my tank went up to 1ppm nitrate or nitrite I would do a immediate water change to lower it because my fish are in danger of dieing.
After watching this I can reflect on my home beach of snells beach when I was a kid I use to walk all the way out to the low tide and catch fish and crabs in the sand pools sand as I got older the sea grass and the sea slugs and the mud started to come and in a few years it grew all the way to the shore (it's a long walk between high tide and low tide took about 15+mins each way) so this for explain why that eco system has changed so much in such a small time it's now squishy mud and smells (was last time I was there about 4 years ago)
We have a beach here that's old sort from the 60s. Smells like a nasty fart. Beautiful beach tho.
An immediate *
Dying *
@@jonathanbaron-crangle5093 Are you 4 ? Go sit in the corner.....
@@JamesBrown-ug2tm 😆🤣
Where would you get pure water from 'immediately'? In Warkworth? Another river? Or council tap water chlorinated suppy? You are a Kiwi and know you shouldn't drink our tap water. I live in Southland, and won't give it to my fish. It kills them.
Why does the industry feel such a sense of entitlement that the public should support their business when they are knowingly poisoning everything around them. Why does that sort of community deserve protection, at the expense of every other community ?
What do you eat?
A block of butter at a NZ Shop sell for a higher price than the same block in the UK.
Industry pays no price for its role, only individual farmers
@@zUJ7EjVD you will need to fertilize, alot, to feed the world
have you been to NZ? NZ was build on dairy farming, that is like telling british people that pubs are no entry zone anymore
We have the same problems in Ireland. 30 years ago I could swim in rural rivers. Not many I'd swim in now. It's bloody awful
I am sorry to hear that! I thought of Ireland much like NZ but i guess you have the same issues!
You have the right amount of money and the right corrupt politician you could pour dog shit into the water supply.
Add plastics to the list.
same in luxembourg...
Yeah, and why does the world need to export dairy from Ireland to the U.S. with brands like KerryGold? There's no logic in wasting that much energy to transport that much dairy. But many Irish-Americans buy that stuff because they think they are supporting Ireland. They are actually destroying it. It is sad.
Dairy is creating havoc in NZ. In 1996 when I went there were millions of Sheep. Went again in 2019 and the landscape had changed drastically. Mostly Cattle ! The tour guide was mentioning that they have ruined all of the water supplies. ☹️☹️☹️
it means that dairy is more profitable than sheep
@@Midogustaf absolutely. China is their largest importer . Follow the money.
@@SUN-it6rf That's capitalism!
@@Midogustaf Nz gov paid farmers in the 90s to change from sheep to dairy. No shit everyone farmer in the country did it when the goverrnment is paying you to
@@SUN-it6rfthat's where NZ PM is 😮
After watching this documentary, I realized the world is so messed up! We are literally playing the blame game in the name of right n wrong but nothing is being done seriously
Thank you for covering this, appreciate your time. We live in Edgecumbe Bay of Plenty, NZ. It's happening all throughout the country & heartbreaking
And disappointing! We know it won’t stop with no solution to come.
Pray for Natural Organic Ways!! cow 🐄🐮 pees is not Dog pees ,dog pees will burnt the Grass.!
After watching this very sad documentary the first quote that came on my mind : "Only after the last tree has been cut down / Only after the last river has been poisoned / Only after the last fish has been caught / Then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
I always thought New Zealand is one of the cleanest countries 😔... It is so sad that you have rivers all over, but you cannot swim in it, because they are poisened 😢😢😢
I thought of that too.
You can. Swim in heaps of rivers
Don't worry, if you have the money you can buy anything, even affect in decision makers .
Our waterways have been damaged before I was born. The way we were portrayed to the world when we started getting all the Hollywood attention was just wrong.
@@scoti-leetauri2427 exactly. Our own government selling that fake news to the rest of the world to get tourists to come. The government's "100 percent pure" marketing campaign and the NZ Story.
When I went to New Zealand as a kid around 2005 to visit my grandpa , he had a fresh water creek behind his home and the neighbor kids showed me how to catch eels using bacon, and the stream was pristine and loaded with eels, the house backed up to a wildlife reserve with hiking trails
Why can't anyone make a fertilizer that doesn't harm the environment?
Yeah it's called organic
..because the purpose of fertilizer is to change the natural state into an unnatural state. Large scale farming takes from the soil, so in order for the farm to survive, those nutrients must be supplemented.
Even if you use a very safe fertilizer, the sheer volume used in a small area of land will increase the concentration. Technically, cattle manure is a safe fertilizer since it's "natural" depending on what they consume, but if there's so much deposited on the soil then you will eventually pollute.
Doesn't that dairy farmer realise that without clean water there will be no farming.
You farm much lol?
Who needs cow milk nowdays.
@@fbyi2940 Let's blame the cheese lovers out there.
No he is just another dirty farmer who refuses to farm a better way because he has a narrow field of vision and doesnt care or want to try being sustainable.
@Mykah Shalom oh dear you dont get it, almond milk is not sustainable due to the billions of acres it would take to provide it plus the herbicides and insecticides farmers would use there too.
Typical short term privatised profit motivation and damn the consequences for society. What has happened to NZ's natural soul? No excuses for not knowing this would be an issue.
Same as Cotton and rice farming in Australia.
Greed has many disgusting results😢
@@unclejoe459 Shareholders? This is great learning for me so I can be part of the Action Group.
@@unclejoe459 Think about it.
@@unclejoe459 They gotta keep 'em happy mate. Who are Shareholders? Us. We all greedy I propose (and desperate in this latest Pandemic) That's all..
Farming has gotten too large for the land given. Organic farming needs to be adopted. Sustainable farming means you have long term future. Once the water become too polluted, farming will suffer too. They have world class diary products and can get premium price for it. It doesn't need to expand all in the one area.
To solve the problem we need to implement a new system, Capitalism has to be abolished, it requires constant growth and we simply don't have the space for constant consumption and growth
@@danl7442 I don't know about that. Capitalism leads to innovations. I suspect we will be consuming alternative sustainable food sources in the future. It may be insects and more sustainable plant based products such as products containing kelp, but I can see your point. Can't continue to be about growth. We'll have to focus on fulfilment with what we have rather than more materialism and consumption.
@@danl7442 capitalism isn’t just about growth it’s about innovation..supply and demand. They will eventually shoot themselves in the foot when they deplete the water source that feeds their irrigation. The dairy farmers are short sighted. There are natural farming techniques that yield better results. I personally would not have allowed such a water intense crop in a place as dry as that. Its not sustainable and the government failed miserably. Eventually the supply of water will not meet their demands and only then will they need to get creative.
Intense industrial farming is just Food & money today, but Hunger and poverty for tomorrow, Cheers From a Nicaraguan. 👋🇳🇮
@@danl7442 We need to abolish food production this will reduce farm pollution and also have a bonus in reducing urban pollution.
I remember going to the Selwyn River as a kid for a family day out. I'm now only 23, sad how quickly it all went down hill.
Can’t swim in a lot of the rivers here in NZ, and the government doesn’t do shit to fix it.
not the goverment is only blame. The people of New Zealand don't wanted . Shit and urine from City's and Farms . Is the killer !
@@petermaier6867 bruh u ain't from here, don't talk politics if you arent from the place, he's right, the government aren't doing a damn thing. Do us a favour, shhhhh
@@cesar_yf2637 lmao! Typical ignorance politics. Peter Maier is pointing the real problem. What an ignorant response, "You are not from here, don't talk about it." Farmers are not government. Go educate yourself.
@@hectoroftroy2470 While your up there in your high horse saying "get educated", please Mr Singh, use your profound knowledge in NZ government and the farming industry to educate me.
@@hectoroftroy2470 I'll be waiting.
John says, "There's no way we can meet these limits." What he means is, "There's no way we can continue to unsustainably exploit this region and meet these limits." Those breeds of cows weren't meant for what that climate is. Get different cattle, switch over to water conserving land management, and diversify small farms again, so families aren't dependent on one market to make a living. If people in India can grow food forests and restore grazing lands in agricultural wastelands without artificial fertilizers, surely New Zealand can do better. The US bloody well needs to do much the same.
Yep, but the NZ Farmer has sold his soul to Fonterra and works for the Coalmine. Fonterra owes 5 Billion and counting.
That sounds like the ideal solution however in practice it doesn't work here. The cost of living in new zealand is simply too high. Farmers wouldn't be able to make enough to live on if they did that.
grow organic plants. problem solved. leave those poor cows alone. they suffer so much in nz in the mud up to their knees. disgusting and cruel.
That's right, there's no pollution in India!
LOL
Same argument from the old whalers, seal clubbers, tiger hunters, old growth forest loggers. they are pathetic. Just finished watching, how can Europe meet the 1mg standard but NZ farmers can't meet a 2.7mg target? Answer that walking heart attack man.
The word "sustainable" is used everywhere, but it seems sustainable farming is off the cards! Farm on what the land can sustain naturally, not by manipulating the soil to the extend that the ecological environment outside the farm borders gets destroyed to keep the farm "super" productive. This model does not sound sustainable at all! Things have got to change.
My ma se nooiensvan was Visser.
Blame it on the ever increasing population growth, that's what's unsustainable.
@@jinglemyberries866 It's a self correcting problem, it's just that humans will be part of the equation and that might not be a positive thing. Nature will rebound for sure.
@@jinglemyberries866 Our waterways suffer for milk powder and junk food.
Farming animal products will never be sustainable
So, we don't have the technology to find an alternate to Nitrate Fertilizers? That alone could solve this entire problem.
actually we do. the purpose for nitrate fertilizers is to push nitrites into the ground for the crops to use. beans and legumes as well as mushrooms are what normally facilitates this. so technically if we alternate between planting beans and other crops you dont really need nitrate fertilizers. however nitrate fertilizers are fast and u dont need to sacrifice a season to plant an nitrogen fixing plant...i guess at the end of the day it just shows how greedy we have become aye.
The particular Maori group featured in this video have recently cleared a forest on the Canterbury plains (which it seems has led to the extinction of an endangered ground beetle that could only be found there) in order to turn the land into an intensive dairy farm of 14000 cattle which endangers the Waimakariri river with more pollution (The river is already one of New Zealand's most polluted rivers).
The problem that intensive agriculture - of all types - causes all over the world is something that we all have to work together to solve because in one way or another we are all involved. No one group, no one segment of society is exclusively responsible and neither can one group or one segment of society solve these problems. It has to be joint effort. The more environmental issues become entangled in divisive group and identity battles the worse it will be for us all.
i agree, working together to create innovative technologies is the only way
Dairy on the South Islands East Coast, is a bad farming practice, due to the gravely nature of the land - most of the Canterbury Plains, is old river beds.
I used to swim in the country's rivers once upon a time, last century - same with coastal waters. No more, as the large rivers & streams, are just open sewars now - I also used to be able to drink from them all, until the visitors, here on the cheap, capped everywhere, and at the same time, gave us Cryptosoridium & Guardia.
Most of the geothermal waters are drinkable, in moderation, and some spring fed streams, are good for drinking - there's several nearby, which are a little acidic on litmus test, which isn't a worry, as the water quenches thirst, is Sweet, and always runs clear - oh, it also supports aquatic species.
The answer is simple. Single family operation with only owner operator would be the simplest solution to pollution but not cooperate friendly
How about the pakeha that destroyed over half of all native species across the country, many are now extinct, for intensive farming???
@@chastito6063 are you saying only Pakeha are responsible for intensive farming? It's supply and demand. But good on you for not eating dairy products...
I'm always fascinated to hear the industry trying to argue by "if we can't pollute for free we can't make this business profitable, so we should be allowed to pollute". Dude, what? Why are you not in jail in the first place? If I would go to the riverbank and throw just the hundred of the amount of fertilizer you let get into the water, I would be thrown in jail.
The very definition of externalities and 'the tragedy of the commons'. Venefiting from a cost that the rest of society has to pay for.
No you wouldn't, you'd be fined. What is needed is more planting along waterways and deeper plantings to soak up any runoff but this video only focused on farming and managed to avoid any information about how much of the rivers are polluted, what percentage is due to farming and what types of farming.
@@Catubrannos Riparian buffers and planting to soak up the excess nutrients. Minimising runoff from fertiliser application.
It's a catch-22 ... consumers like me and you are a part of it ... the energy we use is not 100% clean, the transport we use, the food we eat, the stuff we buy ... it would all be more expensive or out of reach ... and when we clean up other countries that don't care as much produce cheaper and win the market. But eventually things will have to change, and time is running out, that's obvious.
Yes we must destroy everything it's the only way!
"I employ 5 people", but shit on 50,000 - When will industry be held accountable for cleaning up the mess it makes? Why do we always leave it for a future generations to clean up? If you can't clean up the mess you make you shouldn't be in business.
Errrr.... Unless you're living a 100% organic "off-grid" life; you're also part of "Someone Else's Problem."........
@@forandonbehalfof4753 it's the size of the problem that's created, that's why illegal dumpers of toxic waste exist.
Why should only businesses that take advantage of dumping their waste or draining ground water for bottling or similar be profitable - it's a regulation problem. the full cost of production should be shown in the price of the finished goods.
Good example, Californian Almond farmers. California has a water shortage, yet Almond production is up and it uses 1600% more water per pound than oranges - and California grows most of the worlds Almonds, and that water use/replacement for human drinking is not represented in the price or the actual needs of the state populace. That's just 1 example.
@@chrisbeecraft - I think you missed the point I was making. By posting this reply; by definition I'M also part of the problem.
Just out of interest- where do you think all the water used to grow all those almonds goes? See, the problem isn't the water used, it's compounds like nitrites (used in e.g. fertilisers) that are a huge problem. The water isn't changing into anything, it's just a "carrier". Yes, water can be used/changed as part of other compounds BUT While N2 and O2 both make up the air we breathe (basically 80% nitrogen, 20% oxygen) with no ill-effects; when they're nitrites or nitrates things get a bit unhealthy for us.
People just want cheap food and (mostly) don't know how their oh-so-environmentally-friendly electric vehicle runs on how the electricity produced.
Algal blooms have appeared for many thousands/millions of years : Just not in the amounts we're now experiencing.
Don't worry though: I'm not a wishy-washy tree-hugging liberal! My family were talking about effects such as this 60+yrs ago and now it's kinda too late. And beef produces far more damage breathing-out all that nasty methane....
Solution? I suppose we could all become Luddites........
@@forandonbehalfof4753 and I was talking about the "Opportunity Cost" and "Full Cost Accounting" methods.
I grew up next to the river that's shown at 26:57 (my house would literally be in the that shot if it wasn't for the trees) when I was younger we could jump in the water and go fishing there. Now, despite the river looking nice, I wouldn't touch the water let alone anything that came out of it.
"We cannot continue farming with those numbers"
You can, you just don't want to.
No they literally cannot. The amount of milk that they would produce would decline so much that they would not be able to afford to run their farm. And this is all because everyone wants dairy products to be as cheap as possible while the fat cat CEO's of Fonterra etc rake in the profits. If Fonterra paid them more so they could produce less then yes they could, but do you think that is going to happen?
Yeah lol, this dean guy answered it perfectly for me. They already changed In the past due to “circumstances” they can change again. They just don’t want to because they know it’s shit money to change. But their not smart enough to think of something completely new and fresh they just think “ME SELL MILK, ME HAVE BIG BRAIN”
@@pewpewlazereyez so the problem is capitalism
@@danl7442 ridiculous. Name a socialist country that gives a shit about its environment.
@@sutekhthedestroyer6412 tough,because there's no Socialist country that fully embraces socialism ,there's countries with mixed economies,but capitalism doesn't allow for us to solve the climate change crisis, simply because it isn't profitable.
Wherever there is heavy use of fertilizers, fertilizer runoff is inevitable destroying the waterway causing algae bloom. It’s really sad and also a social dilemma. More enforcement and compliance checks are needed. Thanks for talking about this!!
Notraites kill rives
Nz will be the first country to go 100% certified organic,
You can see the effects of farming on waterways, and even on just an area with big, green, lush lawns abutting waterways/lakes/bays etc. around here (Long Island, New York, U.S.). There is a lake near my home that is/was gorgeous, but now is covered with stinky algae. Waterfront areas are often a mess from run-off from waste treatment plants that leak, of course, but often, just too much fertilizer from veg and fruit farms (no animals) can and do wreak havoc on the beaches, waterways and lakes.
@@jomsies Actually this is one I've seen documented. But the fertilizer is also to blame. Attack the problem from all sides. When soil isn't healthy, they use chemicals to get a crop to grow.
Go vegan!
Wow I'm surprised about this. Always had an image of New Zealand being one of those countries out there who do a great job of protecting their environment.
Do not ever believe in any WESTERN media. They never report any good about anything.
Our govt has been ruining the country for a long time. The suicide rates have been soaring too
Yeah.... no. With a small population they just were able to pretend a bit longer....!
smokescreens
Smoke in mirrors my friend, even this documentary is so full of it self, the hostess is driving around in an SUV, literally blowing hot air in a balloon, sorry dude, dairy is huge in NZ.
Finally some reports are coming out about the not so idyllic state of NZ. Hopefully it can stop the families and others moving there in the hopes of plentiful jobs, housing, purity and low costs.
It is a great story. Ngai Tahu is the largest dairy farmer in Canterbury and they cut down large forest areas to convert them to dairy farmers on very stoney soils. They use more N on these soils than other farmers in the area due to the imbalances in the soil caused by the tree roots. They say that they are the only ones to take a stand, yet they are part of the problem.
Ecan turned them down when they planned to turn the Balmoral forest in total to farmland.*ECAN* - the most business friendly council arm in the country...
I’ve seen it with my own eyes bloody awful soil if you can call it that.
@@peterhawkins4612 Which is why they planted pinus radiata as a 30 year crop tree...and in 100 years they can get 3x crops of mature trees....what's wrong with that?
@@JohnSmith-pl2bk fine if they plant a buffer zone of natives, so when the pines are milled there is a buffer against the run off of sediment. Look at what happened in the bay of plenty. It wasnt just logging slash that came hurling down the river. A buffer zone is needed around all forestry.
I was mortified to see the forest devastation in the South Isle when I was there, to see the sheep farms turn into beef farms and the development of manicured poison-laden golf courses along the water for tourists.
This is where you see what different priorities different people have. Others prioritize their profit and income, others prioritize the environment around them.
This is such a great piece.
I'd love to see one very similar on the cotton farming's affect on the Murray-Darling.
The farmer asked the question, "Is it about control?" He should answer that question himself with, "Yes, we the farmers are in control, and we don't want to give it back to the actual owners and protector of the land".
who are the actual owners and "protectors" of the land?
I’ve grown up in the Selwyn District and when I was a child My family would head down to go camping at the river. At Christmas further up stream they would dam the river with the rocks so all the families could swim while on holiday. We can’t go there anymore there’s no point. If you want to swim now you have to go to the beach or up to the mountains. It’s a real shame that my kids can’t go there now. I wouldn’t push my worst enemy in there and it looks flattering in this vid.
My grandfather was a farmer and said it was terrible to see the day the Canterbury region started turning to dairying. It’s because the plains are so flat and the water is that clean it’s easy for the centre pivots to manoeuvre. To have half out the countries irrigation occur in Canterbury which is one of the driest places in New Zealand with the best groundwater is an absolute joke. The groundwater systems are being depleted to line the pockets of a few greedy farmers.
The government has failed us and so have local councils. The amount of water that can be allowed to be taken from the pristine rivers such as the Waimakariri Rakaia, Rangitata , Ashley and more is an absolute disgrace. The stubbornness of SOME farmers saying that they’ll never be able to reach the threshold just shows the attitudes they have. “It’s too low so why should we bother” should be absolutely ashamed of their selfish thinking.
Also Glenorchy what a spot ! The video shows the Dart River mildly after a summer melt and can be the deep darker blue colour if you time it better. What a contrast to the rivers of poison across the rest of the country.
... And ...
this is why
I chose to
live the ve-
gan / orga-
nic life-sty-
le, b'cause
[ I 💚 🌏 ! ]
I wonder if Glentunnel; Whitecliffs camping grounds have lost noticeable business from this over the summers. Pitch a tent there to find out that you cannot swim in the water like you could when you were a kid. Algae seems perpetual there now.
I can't believe how much power these political despots have over the people. It's happening all over the world at a rapid pace. Its like locusts devouring wheat fields.
@@85therealdeal they have. For my primary school camp we went there in year 6 and they no longer go there. After new years this year we came back from down along the inland scenic to check it out and there was only a few hearty permanent campers that still had their stuff there. Wonder how they feel
sad to hear that😓
Conclusion, never drink untreated water from the river, even when they tell you its glacial waters, unless you are really at the top of a glacier
Yeah, I piss on the tops of glaciers, bon apetite.
@@Geebax2 lol rude ... gets soap to wash mouth.
@@madd0g3777 but not the glacier? Thanks.
Lifestraw 😉
You must be the smart one at your house....
@@Geebax2 🤣🤣🤣 😂
While doing so be careful and don't slip 😂
I live in north east Texas, where a new lake is currently filling to provide drinking water for the heavily populated region around Dallas, about 80 miles away. The land all around has been farmland since the late 1800s, with all the nitrate runoff that entails. I quit fishing the Texas lakes and rivers in the 1970s; the simple and sturdy Abu Garcia 300 spinning reel and its aged and repaired rod that I bought with my paper route money in 1965, when I was 14, now sits oiled but ready, usable but unused, a teen era treasure propped in the corner of a garage closet all these years since then. The problem stems from corporate profits, not old farming communities, most of them were only founded around 1880 after rangers killed or ran off the natives who used to practice subsistence living on what were forests, scrublands, and grassy prairies. The cultivation of post-Civil War cotton caused many small towns to arise at crossroads of dusty roads and railroad tracks. Now many of those communities are nearly dead due to aged infrastructure, overtaxed property owners, and their populations can not support even one Walmart or any major brand grocery store.
NZ will discover some day that, outside of a few wealthy corporations and their employees, there are no citizens willing to live in such a heavily polluted area, a place where the very lands and waterways endanger their children. The corporations will someday move on when profits decline, leaving behind a toxic wasteland. It will take a century or more for the land and water to revert back to a clean state, and sane people will have moved out long before. It is an inevitable cycle seen all through human history - humans pollute where they gather, then eventually move on to pollute some new place with their wastes. Why are the Maori even there? Is it because they had to abandon the unlivable lands where they came from? Certainly. Now, come full circle, but no new lands to populate.
Thankyou, Christopher for mentioning the destruction of Eyrewell forest & our now extinct ground beetle , just up the road from me, converted to Dairy farming by Ngai Tahu, themselves. There is no credibility with that group & no one group should ever have any rights over anything as important as water. Many non-maori care just as much about the land, water & air as many Maori do & see what needs to be done. All NZers need to work together to achieve this as "one people". We need to farm differently, it can be done, but change cannot be achieved overnight & it needs a process to allow business owners in the farming industry to adapt practises. And yes we are well behind in starting this process.
the fact that you need to use fertilizer to grow enough food for your cows means that you have too many cows.
@liam Anderson Do they even slaughter them there? This is only the dairy industry that was talked about.
More so, the cow to area ratio is too high. You can have as many cows as you want as long as each cow has enough grazing area to sustain itself without fertilizer.
@liam Anderson yeah ,but clean water is not only better, but essential
Or too many people?
@@nadadoesnothing4062 are volunteering to exit this world, thats nice of you... thank you.
Dairy industry in every developed country ends up doing these.😐
I mean have you seen ganga. at least there aren't corpses thrown
God bless you for having uploaded such an useful and informative documentary. I have learnt what no school/college will never teach. 👍👍👍
Those who generate pollutants should be responsible for the treatment of effluent.
😒 We are all part of the pollutants.... that's the problem we allllllll noooo what's happening and still talk and talk and talk... sorry but this crap is so draining and we together the world human population that care so much... are the change... 🙏
We should start dumping our trash on the land of major polluters and see if they get it
@@mattg4836 have fun eating ideals
@@foodtasty7622 Mate it's corporations that are responsible for almost all polution in the world. The impact of the average citizen is microscopic by comparison. We're a drop in the bucket. Start holding corporations responsible for their own faults and stop victim blaming.
Farmers will always say they can't meet clean water standards but they never balked at creating and accepting all sorts of technological improvements to increase production to levels unimaginable by farmers 75 years ago.
SOUNDS LIKE A DIRTY CITY LIVING PERSON.......NEXT TIME I COME TO AAAAAAUCKLAND HAVE THE SEA CLEAN FROM YOUR TURDS SO I CAN SWIM AT THE BEACH....
exactly. They're the most ignorant people going unless its benefits them.
@@dankenyon2508 what a dumb comment.
Never only just look into the tourist marketing, they will always tell you what you want to hear and leave out all the problems
Yet another unsustainable boondoggle...
@@awuma that hopefully will evolve after Covid19 to a more sensible model, here's hoping.
@@awuma .. You’re hurting innocent animals ? Bludgeoned to death ?? For a burger ??? Five minute burger ????
Animals life gone, for good ??? You don’t do with your cute little dog 🐶. Or a parakeet 🤗🦜...
You can have vegan burgers and vegan pizza and vegan curry and vegan burritos and vegan tacos...... simple !!!
Which side of history are you on ????
We have a pandemic 😵🦠🍖🔴.... Like 1918 pandemic, 50-100 million humans died of eating chicken 😵🦠🍗🔴🐔 !!! Scientific fact !!!! We have long, long stomachs. Teeth are flat 😬. Little flat teeth 😬. We are herbivores ✅. Scientific fact.
Delicious vegan food, from CZcams. For vegan curry, or vegan tacos 🌮, or vegan oats ✅😋🌾🍏🍊🍓🥝........ 80,000 plant foods that’s edible......
Healthy vegan food, from CZcams, Low price. Try it now ✅❤️🌾🍄🍠🥦🥑🍅🥝🍏🍊🌰🥜🌯🌮🍛.......
Now I understand the hundreds of nz tourism ads I got last month
Drink much less milk and meat or non. We do want to get rid of such an unhealthy agriculture .
Lets step back. What happened to wool? Why are sheep less valuable now, even though they were less intensive?
Fast fashion and synthetics. Heyo its another connected problem, go figure.
The polluted water in NZ is just one issue, one single action will not cure the problem that humanity is facing. We are heading to a big catastrophe. Grow, grow... human greed is the death for us and many other species...
"Never understimated human stupidity." (Yuval Harari)
I'm a true born and raised New Zealander 🇳🇿, this is the scary truth
What's your PM doing about it? All the world see is her campaign against smoking!
True my black ass,
Foreigner more like it..
@@SJ_M Were kinda busy being covid free right now while every country dies from it sorry we are not perfect
As an Aussie I've lived and worked professionally in NZ. Clean and beautiful is a thin facade. Get someone to look closer at the dirty habits of how Wellington Water disposes of waste effluent from their treatment works. By Australian standards they would be in prison in how they handle used deep fry oil. It's a free for all, in many parts of the country, run by greedy councils and businessmen. It looks pretty now, but they are crapping in their own nest for a dollar. I left NZ because of it. We were silenced in WW. At least Australia is serious about emissions reporting and controls. An industry and a country that I'm proud to be a part of.
NZ is very good at marketing itself as a "100% pure" paradise. Just wait until you see the problems reg homeless, domestic violence, drug abuse and housing. NZ houses are probably the worst quality houses in the developed world.
I now live in oz and the standards here are socking all across the board, the whole structure in oz is pretty corrupt, Building codes and consents are the worst
and councils done check or sign off buildings
I'll bet you that Farmer it's a Millionaire, He talks about putting bread on the table, but what he means he makes millions, because some people can't eat with a little spoon, they take the entire pot !
I remember having a vacation in New Zealand around 2002 and it was the most beautiful country I've ever been. This documentary made me depressed...
You only saw what you were meant to see
@yellow Arrow your comment does not mean anything you're just being argumentative
@@snoozyq9576 Unlike this doco.
"We can't possibly lower our yield... impossible"... says the well-fed dude with a Mercedes cap.
its a hat... and it looks about 20 years old
Just wants to maximise profits with low production costs /no need for silage just rotational grazing on the plains.
The answer is not to lower the yields, but to lower the production costs. The only way to achieve this is to change how and in many cases what we farm.
It's a shame that it's not mentioned that some of the biggest South island dairy farms are Ngai Tahu owned and operated!!!
Stupid fat owners who don't want to think, initiate and making changes for the better..
This video has upset me as i grew up in NZ fishing and swimming and catching fresh water crayfish in the the rivers. I left NZ back in 93 and have always thought back proud of NZ when i see polluted waters and areas i visit. now i see that NZ is getting just as bad ;-(
This started well before '93, as up to the early 1980's, all water sources, were drinkable.
I've not swum in NZ rivers & streams, since Cryptosoridium & Guardia, were brought in & distributed, by "cheap travelling" tourists.
Dairing on the Canterbury Plains, was a mistake from the outset - wrong soil type, and it's in rainshadow = low rainfall = deeper wells & less water in the aqafiers, that's drinkable.
Many who had artesian water, have had to collect roof water, or go on town supply for the house & an irrigation scheme for the farm.
Adding to the issues, local councils & industrial bore owners, have sold those to Chinese water bottling plants.
Same here, I used to live in nz and always look forward to summer, walk down the road to the river for a swim. I always bragged to my ozzy friends how clean and beautiful nz rivers are. Seeing this documentary made me depressed.
Hey its still a good country! I live here and theres still plenty waterways that we swim in.. still a beautiful place
i stopped eating dairy !!! you can grow plants, and vegetables- those are the real food anyway.
Man was not built to process dairy. Man is the only mammal who continues to ingest milk after infancy.
Dairy is not the problem. Using synthetic fertilizer is. Use natural fertilizer and most or all of the problem is gone.
As someone with background in agriculture. I think the best thing the farmers can do is to make sure that they use only the right amount of chemical fertilizers as well as a mix of organic fertilizers (manure) but this is easier said than done.
They need to grow crops that don't destroy the environment. Kind of Farming 101 really. If you're not sustainable, you're not farming, you're extracting.
@@tanyadidham2287 exactly
That was my question, they have so many cows, why in the heck they haven't used all the manure from cows to fertilize the land reducing the amount of chemical fertilizer? Prob bc is cheaper, or there are subsides in between!! And of course is too much work
Farmer: "Nothing we can do to lower nitrate fertilization..."
Answer: Reduce the amount of cows allowed per acreage.
Fonterra: Not in NZ... we own the government. Want milk?
NZ Ecologists: Okay, lets all focus on climate change! Its all global warming's fault!
NZ will be one of the 1st in adopting communist chinese model to regain economy in order to be safe from the CCP virus.
Communist coopting and conquering at its best.
Your feed to cows is feeding An invasive animal. Have you considered rice? Frontiers is obviously narrow minded ignorant criminals.
Why not just shift from the common usage of Nitrate Fertilizer into livestock manure for agriculture usage in fertilizing farmland, well from being excreted in daily cycle from their pastoral industry. I mean we can't just decrease the efficiency of the farming yield if we don't want shortage of food, and most of developed nation has already very high efficient agriculture industry in terms of land consumption, number of produced yield, rejuvenation of depleted fertile land, and cost.
Well u don't know shit ae coz alot of farms have reduced numbers still need alot more reduced we will get there
NZ could enter an 18 billion dollar marketplace. Clean water exists there without bovine.
Bottled water reaffirmed its position as America’s top packaged drink in 2020, outselling all other packaged beverages (by volume) for a fifth year in a row, according to new data from Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), New York.
Before I pressed play I thought to myself " This'll be about the Canterbury Plains".
The cows don't belong there.
Cow hater!
it's messed up as many new zealanders still believe we are this 100% pure country.. as if..
There was a wetland region in India. Many years ago people started cultivating sugar canes there and became really profitable. More and more people started doing and it started drying up the land because sugar canes draws a huge amount of water. Nobody listened to the government regulations plus there is massive corruption. In a few years they converted that region into a desert. All those farmers are living now in outskirts of Mumbai in refugee camps.
Farming MUST be sustainable, period. Making money at the expense of the environment is selfish and short sighted. It is a very bad business model. All it takes is a bit of investment and intelligence. How about nitrogen fixing clovers? planting along the riparian corridors, reducing intensification etc etc. Much can and must be done, the big companies cannot be allowed to destroy the environment and must be held to account. I am a conservative and capitalist by the way.
Define what is sustainable? There is no such thing of sustainable now when your proud capitalist, socialist, or communist materialistic way of life is in operate in this world. You don't have respect to nature, and even never considered nature as a sacred.
@@tokofora8783 .. You’re hurting innocent animals ? Bludgeoned to death ?? For a burger ??? Five minute burger ????
Animals life gone, for good ??? You don’t do with your cute little dog 🐶. Or a parakeet 🤗🦜...
You can have vegan burgers and vegan pizza and vegan curry and vegan burritos and vegan tacos...... simple !!!
Which side of history are you on ????
We have a pandemic 😵🦠🍖🔴.... Like 1918 pandemic, 50-100 million humans died of eating chicken 😵🦠🍗🔴🐔 !!! Scientific fact !!!! We have long, long stomachs. Teeth are flat 😬. Little flat teeth 😬. We are herbivores ✅. Scientific fact.
Delicious vegan food, from CZcams. For vegan curry, or vegan tacos 🌮, or vegan oats ✅😋🌾🍏🍊🍓🥝........ 80,000 plant foods that’s edible......
Healthy vegan food, from CZcams, Low price. Try it now ✅❤️🌾🍄🍠🥦🥑🍅🥝🍏🍊🌰🥜🌯🌮🍛........
@@VeganV5912 did you have your teeth flattened? I have 4 canine teeth myself.
How about New Zealand stop production milk to be shipped to communist China.
@@VeganV5912 way more animals are murderd to support vegans then meat eaters.
... vegans are narcissistic hypocrites ...
Same Quebec Canada... and we are fighting back...🐋🦈🐬
@beez by sending your trash overseas?
@@luckycharm5757 hey that comment is garbage...😂
@@simonac688. no, it’s actually a pertinent question. Just because you don’t want to answer it doesn’t make it a bad question.
@@sandrasarafian481 ? 🤔 ?
I never sent garbage anywere i take my environment very seriously" but if your referring about containers full of dirty recycling on the news sent from canada overseas i get it now... i dont think they do export recycling materiel anymore...that was a wild ago
sorry if i dinth quiet understand your question...i am a french speaking Indian from the Mic Mac nation.
Humans are killing this earth. We are somewhere there towards the end of the planet. Love nz.hope they fix this soon
Not humans. Politicians,and over zealous businesses.
I'm from New Zealand .I grew up swimming in the rivers ..I feel cheated and ROBBED by the govt and farmers and my in-laws are farmers and the farm is still in the family but there trying to be forward thinkers ..I'd rather be broke than dead
Problems in NZ currently that the gov is doing nothing meaningful to fix:
-intensive farming and poor urban infrastructure polluting waterways
-biodiversity free falling
-housing prices skyrocketing well beyond levels that the average NZer can afford (initial home ownership is a pipedream unless your parents cut you a deal on their second/third/forth house. You're effed if they can't/won't)
-critical mental health issues across the population, especially among Indigenous people
thanks to the national party . the labs have given the nats every chance to kill them . why have the nats not killed them . the labs are bailing out failed national business men
Maori have over $54 billion invested, sadly none of this is ever used to help them, that's for their own elite few.
But Ardern makes people feel good, and that is leadership
@@larrygerry985 eh. That's part of leadership. And she's done pretty well regarding this whole covid mess. She's just far to centrist to tackle some of the legacy issues thst have embedded themselves into the fabric of NZ culture.
@@CaptScrotes you think Ardern is centrist lol,she used to be leader of the international socialist party far from centre.borderline communist if you ask me.
News to the outside world I'm sure. This has been happening since colonial times and I'm glad that people are finally being exposed to the truth.
"I'm glad that people are finally being exposed to the truth." Will that change anything? Many will just deny it. Others will look for non-existant solutions how to keep the status quo and pollute less. While long and costly debating over these non-existant solutions, this topic will fade from the news.
When I visited NZ I ended up in hospital with an infection due to the water. That was fun!
Yeah, a bit of perspective here mate. 99% of the farmland rivers are polluted (apparently) but only 13% of New Zealand is used for farming, which has decreased (not increased) year on year due to better farming techniques. This is Doomsayer alarmism. Yes they need to stop leeching chemicals, and make more of an effort to cleaning up the rivers affected. But it's not like all of New Zealand's rivers are now a waste dump.
As a boy lived on a farm, it was separated from the farm at the back by a small stream that l loved to swim in. Then basically over night it became so dirty my sister & brother had to stop as intensified dairy farming took hold. Dad worked on an old school farm where there was more land area than cows so it was relatively clean (110-120 cows to 130 acres), there was no cow waste management & little fertiliser use. But when the owner died the new farmer has changed that, Fonterra requires a waste management system but it has loose limits, the number of gone to 250-300 cows which requires massive fertilising to maintain the grass required & grain feeding as well to give the number of cows enough feed to produce the profit the farmer wants.
And i believe that most if not all those farmers would happily halve their herds and production per cow if that gave them enough income to pay the bills. Don't forget that the whole get big or get out mantra is sustained by banks and whatever buyer you can get a contract with. All the while what the farmer gets remains pretty much the same, while the price for the consumer keeps rising. They are the visible part of this mess, not the real cause.
Where does the pollution come from? From the dairy stalls where the excrement is collected? Or from the grassland? How does it get into the rivers? Are the nitrites washed away with irrigation or with rain?
@@VictorY-mu6zp millions of tons of fertilisers to make grass grow , farms are hard up against all waterways
Thank you Falconer you give vital data
Give it couple of years, then the Blunt Question will be "Is there any future for the next Generation or is the any future at all ?".
@Ted Jackson why ? What's wrong with Jacinda?
@Ted Jackson wooooow I did not expecting 😳that to see such a thing can be happening in NZ
Societies adapt and evolve. New Zealand was bankrupt in 1985, and whilst it has recovered with the help of Diarying, it will do just as well without it.
And they'll still be claiming it'd too expensively to change that 😅
Keep up the great work Ngai Tahu!
Lead the way forward!
Proud of use!
Kia kaha!
Adern promised alot, there isn't 1 thing she actually delivered on
This government is actually just a marketing department
"Adern promised alot, there isn't 1 thing she actually delivered on" How is that different from any other politician in the world?
No mention of how many dairy farms ngai tahu own,this story has a huge hole in it,
you are right.
Tqtal hypocrasy
This is shocking, I used swim there when it was clean 😥 the farmers need to work with the university for a solution.
I used to swim in the Selwyn and Ashley river(s) when I was a kid. That spot at that culvert on the Ashley was a great spot to see if the whitebait were swimming !
the farmers want no change they want to increase pollution untile there is consumer boycott farmer beef burger will not change
The farmers don't care about polluted rivers,they only care about profits...the waterways be damned
At the end of 2022 Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made a surprising political move. She resigned. Why? Did she give up on this pollution problem?
1080 drops, rain washes 1080 into river and streams...... Pine trees...... Farmers used to milk 200ish cows, in walk-throughs, and /or herringbone cow sheds, now, heaps of cows on one big farm..... Toxins from industries... Etc, back in the day, exporting wasn't as intense, as it is, now... Greed, is destroying this beautiful planet... GREED!!!
60% of rivers polluted. Damn, profit is surely not important than the environment.
i don't know which world you live in but profit has always been more important since like the start of industrial revolution. it's only recently that opinions have started to shift.
Maybe they should consider regenerative farming methods as a way to reduce or eliminate nitrate use.
Sure.. you dont want to eat
@@henkvandergaast3948 dont you want to open your eyes, acquaint your self with knowledge and do things a better, cheaper way? Of course you dont it's your attitude that is destroying the planet.
@@henkvandergaast3948 Sure. No one can survive without dairy. Like no vegan ever existed.
@@henkvandergaast3948 please inform yourself. There are multiple examples where degenerates farm soil was revived with regenerative practices - decreasing external inputs, reducing risks and increasing all-over output. Whatever you believe is simply proven wrong.
@@henkvandergaast3948 The calorie output per hectare is now lower in Canterbury with the massive increase in dairy over the previous mixed cattle, sheep and grain dry weather farming that preceded it. As almost all NZ milk production, including from Canterbury, is converted into milk powder (via very inefficient, energy intensive evaporation tech) which is then used in highly processed luxury food products like ice cream. If you removed 95% of NZ dairy production neither NZ nor any other country would have any problems with food security. Adopting sustainable agriculture practices in canterbury would, as well as having much less impact on the environment including an increasing limited irrigation water supply, increase the amount of healthy food calories produced per hectare. It would also massively reduced NZ green gas emissions massively as well as methane (which has a warming effect 20-30 times that of CO2 in the atmosphere) from dairy herds is one of the major contributors here. Also, though it barely mentioned in this piece, the canterbury rivers were major fishery
Not being a big dairy farmer and realizing that large acreages have challenges, I do have a question: How far are you willing to go to IMPROVE your pastures while reducing the addition of nitrates to reduce the pollution of New Zealand's fresh water rivers, etc.? Reducing the size of each of your pastures and do a rotation of your cows through them to keep the buildup of urea in each pasture down. You can do crop rotation in your pastures with nitrogen reducing legumes, planting rye grasses and then cutting it down once it reaches 8-12 inches and letting it lie - that will decompose and add more soil to your pastures making it deeper over time, plant sunflowers intermittently in your pastures to help increase the soil and hold water better by letting them die in place, plant clover to help fix nitrogen in the soil, "stock" worms in your pastures to help keep the soil loosened. (I put red wrigglers in my gardens), spread the cow manure throughout your pastures to help with fertilization. There are all kinds of things you can do besides just growing grass for your animals to eat that needs constant nitrogen fertilization due to the feces and urea output of your cows. How committed are you to managing your business in a way that will benefit you, the rivers, and the people of New Zealand? Asking for the planet.
Bring back the one chain Crown Land each side of all waterways
The cities are seriously to blame, 30+ beaches in auckland are unswimmable due to human sewage. Every time there's a small shower of rain the cities drains over flow.
The most polluted areas are urban, strange that
NZ water pollution crisis extends into urban settings as well as rural. But the Selwyn river isn't be poisoned Aucklanders is it? i would hope the country could do both at the same time. It a basic fact of geography that most rivers are in rural areas and therefore most river pollution is caused by rural industry.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q the cleanest rivers are also not through Urban areas. That's why I'd swim in the waikato river but not after Hamilton, HCC also got in major trouble recently for water pollution as is the ACC
I'd rather be in the Selwyn river than the Avon river
@@alisterstewart4783 Where i live, the Hutt valley, our river is now unswimmable due intensive dairy farms being established in the upper basins whereas the urban pollution sources have been pretty much eliminated. Same goes for a lot of the rivers in the Manawatu i used to swim and kayak in as a kid. We can throw anecdotes at each other on such and such a place vs another. Doesn't change the fact far too many places - urban and rural are now polluted. The govt regs on water quality doesn't make a distinction on urban or rural, and everyone I know on this issues thinks water quality should be improved everywhere. What's your point?
They "cleaned up" the local river where I live, I decided it must be safe because of the money spent "cleaning" it and took a swim. Before I even left the river I was already developing a rash all over my body. I haven't been back since, and doubt the "river cleaning" money went anywhere except some weasel's pocket.
Im so pleased New Zealand has them to take over the reasonability. I wish we had something like that in the UK and wish them all the luck in the court case. Government have to consider too many sides to be effective.
It's so bloody easy to reach the outcome of the govt. set limit for nitrates and phosphates in the waterways !
1. Set aside a small portion of land to create a deep retention pond for surface water run-off.
2. Downslope of that dig a channel winding back and forth (to fit it into a small area), having areas of shallow, mid and deeper (to accommodate different wetland plant species preferential growth environment).
3. Introduce local wetland plants from the surrounding area to the second, filtration stage, of the newly created wetlands.
4. Prolific flora growth, as occurs in wetlands, will extract excess nutrients from the surface run-off coming from farms.
I have designed and helped construct one of these nutrient absorbing wetlands on the outskirts of Richmond, Western Sydney, where it's small footprint serves a large catchment area.
The key to this idea is to get the landscape to work WITH your management plan.
Synergies of this project are that it brings in a diversity of extra flora and fauna to the wetlands, and that a new long-term water supply is available to the farmers in times of water shortages.
This project plan is a WIN-WIN-WIN for the farmers, the government and the environment.
Maori culture traditionally has a kinship relationship with the environment. However maori have no exclusive claim to such a relationship or to kaitiakitanga (guardianship). All humans were given by their Creator a biological and spiritual connection with their environment together with a guardianship role. Many thousands of New Zealand born kiwis share this connection and sense of responsibility. Rennaissance of maori culture and both leadership and participation in environmental management and governance is a good thing. It's really good to see. However, either assuming a somehow superior role in this is unrealistic, unhelpful and unwise. Kia tupato. Only a hunter who treads carefully with his ears and eyes open has a chance of success.
The difference that Iwi (as opposed to individual Maori) have a legal claim that is exclusive under the principle of kaitiakitanga as expressed under the way the Treaty has been placed into NZs legal framework. Short of a complete revision of NZ's modern constitutional framework what people think is unrealistic, unhelpful or unwise is by the by.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q And so government laws or policy on how it should be implemented extinguishes personal and social principles, beliefs and values; and their democratic right to express their views, insight and advice to government on how they should apply the Treaty of Waitangi or other legislation?
We live in a democratic country and public opinion and advice should influence how legal claims are addressed and settled. I don't agree that Helen Clark's approach to the Foreshore and Seabed claim was the best outcome but se certainly applied what she considered to be a balanced approach for the benefit of the nation as a whole, rather than leave it to the law and bureaucracy. I have seen really bad Treaty of Waitangi Settlement outcomes that both short changed maori claimants and produced a really bad environmental and national heritage outcome, simply because the claim process was left up to the bureaucratic process of implementing the treaty policy of the day.
Ngai Tahu have a significant influence over the mountains and watersheds of the Canterbury-Otago watersheds but have limited influence over the farmers who own or manage the land. Durable and good outcomes can only be achieved with an inclusive approach. Iwi do not have exclusive kaitiakitanga (or culturally comparable concepts and roles) over the private lands or the recreational enjoyment of the rivers. Such claimed exclusivity is merely a legal notion with limited application. Morally kaitiakitanga - guardianship - stewardship is a shared responsibility and relationship to the land and water that I don't think any genuine rangatira would disagree with. A rangatira by definition is one who weaves to bring people, ideas resolutions together.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q do ya homework bro
Well said mr king
KiaOra
Issues like this have parallels with Australian farming and the drought crisis. Unpopular opinion (even from someone who has cousins with a Dairy Farm): we do a LOT of very poorly suited farming for our climate, and it makes it very difficult to empathise with this issues that farmers deal with. As noted in this video, dairy farming is one of the most resource intensive farming types we have access to (particularly with respect to water use), yet dairy farming is exceedingly popular in our relatively dry continent. Why? Cos it's profitable and it's an easier crop to farm.
Brutal reality check: farming in Australia and navigation of the on-going drought would be significantly more sustainable if farmers didn't try to farm relatively easy and more profitables crop.
A government scheme that assisted farming families convert their farms to more sustainable options would go a long way to solve a problem that will otherwise continue to exist for the foreseable future. Why keep funding band-aid fixes for the symptoms (water subsidies due to lack of water) when you can assist with fixing the problem in the first place (reduce water needs)?
Maybe because those alternative crops are easy to grow anywhere and don't command high enough market prices to make them viable or farmers would already be doing them. If you were told not to use any digital device for most of the week to save the planet would you do it? Go back to land lines and letters for contacting people.
Most Australia farms are combination farms- several different types of crops and animals, and the farmers are flexible and knowledgeble ie. when China cut the barley imports, it barely affected them as they have several other sources of income and they change from season to season depending on the climate and demand. This biodiversity is good for the soil and food for nature so they use less chemicals than monoculture farmers. They;ve actually got it sorted, don't need government hand outs. Unfortunately, these NZ farmers have gotten lazy and now the are vulnerable because they rely on one commodity. They are factories not farms, in my opinion, if they produce one product in bulk.
The only monoculture farms in Australia are the new industrial farms ie. cotton (and larger diaries in places like Tasmania) and yeah, these are not suitable and doing harm. I hear they are going to build one near Katherine in the NT???????
Weed need a north south pipeline that should have been built decades ago mate. we are building too many houses on prime grassland.
Grazing is what you do when the land is too poor to support arable crops. Really all you can go is reduce stocking density, and Australia already has some of the lowest stocking densities on the planet, so after that the land is pretty much worthless, there is no sustainable option, you can't farm anything on it and ever make a profit.
@@cumoreview442thank you. I'm over Australians being clumped into this factory farming rubbish. Our farmers work very hard to maintain a good balance while preserving the environment and using best practices. The dairies in my area are NOT major polluters.
It is Not Getting Rid of Farming the concerned population are demanding but Safer & Greener Ways of Farming that would Safe Guard the New Zealand Lakes & Rivers for Generations to come ...
Now days it's hard to do the right thing specially when you have farmers that have huge pieces of land that refuse to lower their profits by going clean! They don't care how much they contaminate the land as long as their getting rich!
I visited NZ South Island 3 times. Mainly living in Scandinavia, I was shocked and almost not prepared to that most of the water I fished isn´t drinkable ... and I even visited pretty remote locations.
It’s ridiculous to hear farmers talk about their farm putting bread on peoples tables, and how they do the best they can for the future! There are so many other farming options that don’t involve the pollution of land and water. Every dairy cow you see has cried with distress as they repeatedly drag its babies away for slaughter after just a day or two of suckling, just so people can have milk which, in fact, is readily replaced by plant options that are in fact healthier. I have no sympathy for farmers who only care about making as much money as possible regardless of how, while maintaining a closed mind to alternative possibilities. Change is inevitable. Do things differently so the environment can heal.
Too right Gail !!! I know first hand its Selfish Greed and ignorance behind those farmers attitudes. By the way China paid for and own the milk powder plant in Darfield Canterbury and operate other large Dairy concerns in Nz under the Guise of names like Pacific Holdings etc . Govt is Knee deep in accepting Foriegn money tp develope these industries. They could have said no and focused on self developement nationally, but oh no , take the fast easy dollar show rapid growth , take the salary and politcal accolades and bow out .
@@shfr1747 Why am I not surprised that China is involved in destroying the environment of another country! When will we find leaders who have the guts to say no to big dollars and sweet illusion for the sake of their own short term benefit? It’s shameful. The best thing to come from the COVID19 is the anti China (CCP) movement. I’m in Western Australia. Our Premier has just had the largest landslide win in history, and that is because he had the courage and forward thinking to keep our borders closed against the pressure to open them (repeatedly) by other leaders. We feel safe here because he remained strong! At least the Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, is doing a bit more to reduce China’s influence on our economy, but very little regarding the environment. I don’t understand why, when it’s so obvious that the environment is everything to do with our future. Jobs, food, climate change! If people would just stop believing the rubbish reported, and educate themselves while questioning the facts presented, in order to find the truth, then act on that truth, I believe things would improve at a faster rate due to people power.
@@shfr1747 Sorry you are talking nonsense. The milk powder plant in Darfield Canterbury is built and owned by Fonterra. Nothing to do with China.
@@gailjackson Im in WA too just now ! Its a sorded mess. I dont trust any of em including Scomo . They all still impilcit on all the other stuff. Good luck to you mate !!
@@rosscashmore4935 Look up Ylli group , look up who owns Synlait Look up who Oceania is .
It's pretty simple. If it's killing the rivers and therefore the countryside, something HAS to be done. If 'dairy' has to go, it has to go. End of.
it is a case of excess of anything is dangerous. Diversification of trade particularly in something concerning natural resources consumption/destruction seems to be a better option to keep the export numbers in good shape.
What a shame, I would've never thought of this happening in New Zealand of all places...don't go to anybody's home to see they have their own dirty laundry
i remember taika waititi brought this up in an interview or something a few years ago...said something along the lines of how people are sold this clean green image of new zealand but in reality, it's straight trash!..he got vilified for it...was called a traitor, among other things...
dude was just telling the truth.....
This problem is exaggerated in this one sided documentary. The vast majority of New Zealand's major rivers are perfectly safe to swim in.
That's not true mate. You are dreamin
@@levitikalbloodl7ne866 straight trash is an over exaggeration, yes we have our issues like all places but it's pretty good here
There’s more to Clean and green than just our environment, and for the most part we’re pretty good, being nuclear free is one of them, and guess what, little old nz have people who want to be successful to.
we can do better though
Dear ABC. Please have more of this type of coverage on the destruction of Australian rivers. Thank you.
Omg so true, NZ is not perfect, but compared to Australia, NZ is a paradise and Australia is a waste land
Thank you for sharing this information!
TO coin a phrase I've concocted, "Behind every mess-up is a cleanup".
NZ decimated Australian diary industry and this is the result. NZ governments, farmers and people basically laughed at small family Australian farmers while they lost their farms, my care factor on this story is zero.
You are 100% correct. There are barely any sustainably small family dairy farms left in Australia
I don't think all the people suffering as a result of this are responsible for that. It's pretty heartless not to care for any of them.
I’m from New Zealand and this is correct! we need to plant out the waterways and stop using unnatural fertilisers and create natural top soil
Those solutions won't work in canterbury, the focus of this piece. Intensive irrigation plus Dairy urine on the region's porous soils changes the basic chemistry of the whole water soil system. You could move the dairy fence back a km from the river's edge and the nitrates still all end in the groundwater which feeds the regions rivers.Rural canterbury needs revert back to the mixed dry stock farming and grain rotation (on a sustainable system) that existed prior to the diary madness.
@@user-uy6uc5ey5q yeah those solutions could work as it would make intensive dairying unsustainable and hence reduce the nitrates.
There farming on gravel not a lot of soil
10kms back from any waterbody
The policies farmers are protesting about isn’t just because we don’t want them. It’s not that farmers don’t want to change in fact many are trying to change their practices and a lot are pushing for support in new practices like regenerative processes. The problem. The government and others in charge don’t want to hear it. They’re pushing farmers around and telling them what to do instead of working with farmers and listening to them. It’s the lack of communication and cooperation that’s driving the farming industry into a deeper hole and continuing to pollute waterways. These silly non thought through policy’s aren’t going to work economically and are not the solution.
A year later and this is on point as we go into our Environment Council elelctions. John Suncknell comes off poorly. There's no financial excuse to irrevocably degrade an environment. He makes it sound like it's a choice between agriculture or no agriculture. It has never been that, it's a choice between sustainable farming, or a dysfunctional ecosystem. The sheep were no problem on the Canterbury Plains for decades; there are plenty of drout-tolerant crops that would be perfect there. 30 years of head-in-the-sand intensive dairying has destroyed our beautiful freshwater rivers.