Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Protect North's water quality before adding more dairy: Greens

By Lindy Laird
Northern Advocate·
10 Feb, 2015 11:30 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty says there should be no increase in Northland dairying until waterways are better protected. Photo / File
Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty says there should be no increase in Northland dairying until waterways are better protected. Photo / File

Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty says there should be no increase in Northland dairying until waterways are better protected. Photo / File

A newly released Northland Regional Growth Study suggests the region could grow fatter on milk, but Green Party spokeswoman Catherine Delahunty says dairying development should be ring-fenced until tougher strategies are in place to protect water quality.

The Growth Study was released by Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy in Kerikeri.

The study states Northland's economy is underperforming - having 3.6 per cent of the population, but contributing 2.9 per cent of employment and 2.6 per cent of gross domestic product. It also states the region's natural assets, cultural heritage and youthful population present significant opportunities for growth in tourism, forestry, dairy, aquaculture and horticulture.

Ms Delahunty said alarm bells should be ringing over the suggestion dairying be increased. Binding water protection measures need to be put in place first, she said.

"Twenty per cent of existing dairy farms are non-compliant with what is already in place."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The requirements should go further than a voluntary accord between Fonterra, farmers and local authorities, have tougher compliance requirements to keep stock out of riparian areas and ensure better effluent/run-off management, she said.

Last week she accompanied Millan Ruka, of Environment River Patrol Aotearoa, on a visit to the waterways of Hikurangi Swamp, Mangakahia and Poroti.

"There are great farmers out there doing great work and I was inspired by the efforts of local hapu and Northpower to get elvers and eel past the Wairua Power Station. That's a great co-operative model but, overall, we need much more co-operation, and enforceable requirements.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We have to congratulate iwi and hapu and individuals like Mr Ruka for their commitment to the issue of water quality."

The Tai Tokerau iwi economic growth strategy for the Maori economy, released alongside the regional study, has been welcomed by Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell who said it represents a commitment of iwi to drive their economic growth.

Discover more

Divers rescued after boat drifts in rough sea

08 Feb 11:20 PM

Shallow water fishing fires up in Northland

10 Feb 08:54 PM

Rahui in place to protect awa

26 Jun 06:00 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate
|Updated

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Fight card begins as SBW and Gallen set to settle feud
Boxing

Fight card begins as SBW and Gallen set to settle feud

Have you seen Brett? Police search for missing Upper Hutt man
New Zealand

Have you seen Brett? Police search for missing Upper Hutt man

US agents seize $16m in crypto tied to Sinaloa cartel in major busts
World

US agents seize $16m in crypto tied to Sinaloa cartel in major busts

LA protests: Pentagon pulls back half of guard troops
World

LA protests: Pentagon pulls back half of guard troops

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal
Wellington

Chung’s campaign group loses candidate amid email scandal

'It was holding him up': Driver gets car stuck on Waitara Bridge median barrier
New Zealand

'It was holding him up': Driver gets car stuck on Waitara Bridge median barrier



Latest from Northern Advocate

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood
Northern Advocate
|Updated

'I didn’t have time to think': Well-known local rescues woman from rising flood

Roddy Pihema saved a woman and her pets from rising floodwaters in Kawakawa.

16 Jul 06:00 AM
'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court
Northern Advocate

'Frankly dangerous': Gang member's alleged reckless driving near police lands him in court

16 Jul 04:04 AM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northern Advocate

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search