Listen: DairyNZ's Michael Spaans on the Farming Leaders Group

Michael Spaans is chair of DairyNZ and member of the Farming Leaders Group. Photo / Supplied

For the first time in this country, a group of pastoral farming leaders have joined forces and committed to working towards making New Zealand's rivers swimmable for future generations. They are the Farming Leaders Group.

DairyNZ Chair Michael Spaans caught up with The Country Early Edition's Dom George to explain the reasons behind the creation of the Farming Leaders Group of which he is a member.

Spaans says the New Zealand dairy industry has voluntarily cleaned up waterways but the message doesn't seem to translate to the urban population. This is one of the main reasons the Farming Leaders Group was formed.

"We know as a dairy industry we've been doing a lot over the past 10 years, but we just don't seem to be getting the message through so we came together as a group."

Spaans admits there will be some rivers that will be very challenging to clean up but the group are prepared to talk to the communities affected and set achievable and realistic targets.

Finally Spaans says farming groups need to stop "preaching to the converted" and start getting the urban community to support them as they are "contributing to the degradation of our waterways as well."

"Unless we're all together in this we aren't going to achieve the outcome we're looking for."

Listen to the full interview in the Soundcloud below: