Dairy 'convenient football to kick'

Fish and Game wants a new strategy to farm smarter

Dairy NZ has slammed Fish & Game NZ's claims that Kiwis think the dairy industry has sacrificed the environment for economic gain and unsustainable land intensification.

Fish & Game commissioned an independent "Farming and the Environment Survey" of 3134 respondents. Results showed 37 per cent thought the economy was too heavily dependent on dairy farming and 31 per cent said the growth of intensive dairy farming had gone too far.

More than 92 per cent said either all waterways (56.8 per cent) or the majority (35.8 per cent) should be safe for swimming, fishing and food gathering while 70 per cent said the expansion of dairy farming had made the quality of fresh water worse than it was 20 years ago. That opinion was shared by 65 per cent of farm managers and owners surveyed.

Chief executive Bryce Johnson said it was clear Kiwis were not buying into the industry and Government spin about their commitment to water quality.

He called for a new strategy to farm smarter and said the Sustainable Dairying Water Accord was too "soft" as eight out of every 10 New Zealanders wanted livestock fenced out of waterways - including small streams not part of the accord - made a mandatory requirement.

"The need to require the dairy industry to be on an environmentally sustainable footing is a no-brainer."

Dairy NZ Tim Mackle said Fish and Game was playing politics in an election year and dairy farmers were a convenient football to kick.

"I think New Zealanders understand that dairying is important to the success of the New Zealand economy and that dairy farmers are an important part of our community.

"They just want to see the industry acting responsibly and managing its impact.

"We don't need another survey to tell us what we already know - that New Zealanders care what the dairy industry is doing to live up to their expectations around environmental stewardship," he said.

Dairy NZ had boosted its industry environmental investment by 61 per cent this financial year to $11 million per annum.

Fish & Game Eastern Regional manager Rob Pitkethley said the Rangitaiki River was the most affected river in the Bay of Plenty due to nutrient increase.

Land intensification and dairy conversions had increased particularly in the upper parts of its catchment, he said.

Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty provincial president Rick Powdrell said dairying in the region was not increasing at a fast rate because the Bay of Plenty was a multi-stream primary industry economy. It was supported by agriculture, horticulture and tourism.

Abatement and infringements notices given to dairy farmers by the Bay of Plenty Regional council were falling, which was positive and work was continuing.