Brian Doughty: 'Experts' muddy water issue

Popular target: Water quality is not just a farming issue. Photo / File

For some time we have heard heaps of opinions about our water quality and what it is or will be doing to our waterways in the future.

Almost every individual who has or is likely to have an interest in water is becoming an expert and grabbing headlines in our local and national news media to push their point.

From a personal position, it's getting difficult to understand who is and who isn't right, along with what basis their issues are built on.

Is it just a passion, do they have some knowledge gleamed from others, have they had a serious misadventure in one of our so-called polluted waterways or have they honestly delved into the science -- and there is heaps -- to fully understand all the issues prior to hitting the headlines?

The Government's proposed new freshwater standards are an example of groups reacting negatively while not understanding or waiting to see the detail -- sort of shooting from the hip, but not well aimed.

On May 16 Dairy NZ reported 97 per cent of dairy farm water bodies have stock exclusion.

In the next breath was Mike Joy saying that's not correct, as this only relates to water bodies greater than a metre wide and deeper than a Red Band, when in fact Joy wants stock excluded from all water bodies.

My understanding of the proposed freshwater standards if they are implemented would see 90 per cent of identified rivers swimmable by 2040, farmland termed rolling plains, 3 to 15 degrees of slope and water bodies greater than a metre wide having total cattle exclusion by 2030, so 20-odd years from now we can expect to see significant stock exclusion from a large section of water bodies within our rural community, but I am equally sure that won't stop some with a set agenda continuing to pursue their extreme positions and wanting changes yesterday.

Federated Farmers is promoting discussion based on a Sensible, Practical and Affordable (SPA) approach to help solve the issues. It is a good starting point.

Sir Peter Gluckman, the PM's chief science adviser, intentionally wanted to tell New Zealanders water quality was not just a farming issue. "There are so many aspects".

It's more complex than saying there are too many cows on the land.

While there will be a myriad opinions on this subject, let's not lose sight of our role as everyday New Zealanders, to see that our environment, social lifestyle and ability to be economically sustainable can continue for future generations.

Professor Gluckman calls for a more mature conversation on solving water quality issues and an end to the polarised positions that have characterised the debate, so let's start listening and then talking.

Brian Doughty is a dairy farmer, cheese-maker and past provincial president of Federated Farmers.