The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

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 / The Country

Meeting hears concerns over nitrate levels in Canterbury water

RNZ
7 Apr, 2021 09:00 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

A panel, including a rural GP and an epidemiologist spoke about health and environmental risks at the meeting a Burnside High School in Christchurch. Photo / Supplied

A panel, including a rural GP and an epidemiologist spoke about health and environmental risks at the meeting a Burnside High School in Christchurch. Photo / Supplied

By Eleisha Foon of RNZ.

A meeting to discuss levels of nitrates in Canterbury drinking water pulled in more than 100 people from around the region.

It was sparked by an application to renew consent for a 56,500ha mid-Canterbury irrigation project that some critics say will increase nitrate levels in water bores.

An independent hearing commissioner is considering the renewal. The public cannot make submissions, because they were able to do so as part of the original consent process.

A panel, including a rural GP and an epidemiologist who has researched the links between nitrates and bowel cancer, spoke about health and environmental risks at the meeting a Burnside High School in Christchurch.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Many in the audience had travelled from Ashburton, where one man said this had been an issue he had been fighting for since the 1970s. He had now retired but said this would make a difference for future generations.

Rural GP Dr Robin Barraclough raised concern over diagnosing a large number of people, namely farmers, with bowel cancer.

He said people had asked him whether the cancer was caused by nitrates in their drinking water and his answer was that he couldn't rule it out and that it was a possibility.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Event organiser, environmentalist Angus Robson, said the regional council had a lot to answer for and he hoped the group would collectively use its voice to prevent the consent going through.

He wanted Cantabrians to have a say on the irrigation consent renewal, which he claimed would increase nitrates to dangerous levels.

The current safe level in New Zealand, as mandated by the World Health Organisation, is 11.3mg per litre, but a 2018 Danish study found a link with the risk of bowel cancer when nitrate levels were as low as 0.87mg per litre.

The study prompted the government to appoint a taskforce to review safe drinking levels.

Discover more

New Zealand

Canterbury consent replacement raises concerns about nitrates

05 Apr 08:30 PM

'No immediate plan' to reduce nitrate levels

22 Feb 11:45 PM

Dr Rowarth: Nitrates, drinking water and bowel cancer

18 Mar 12:15 AM
New Zealand

Wake-up call: Up to 800,000 Kiwis may have increased bowel cancer risk

21 Feb 07:43 PM

- RNZ

Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim
The Country

'We love you Jocko': Hundreds pay tribute to Stewart Island hunting accident victim

Jock Davies was remembered for his infectious humour, caring nature and great strength.

14 Jul 04:21 AM
City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land
The Country

City to Farm - how leftovers are giving back to the land

14 Jul 03:16 AM
The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath
The Country

The Country: Tasman farmer on flooding aftermath

14 Jul 02:16 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
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • 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
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP