By 3 News online staff
Initiatives to improve water quality in our rivers and streams largely focus on so-called “dirty dairying” - but farmers say that's only part of the problem.
Managing and improving water quality is a key focus of the Federated Farmers national conference currently underway in Auckland, but they say other areas of society also need to step up.
Federated Farmers’ Ian McKenzie says there is “no question” agriculture plays a part in the pollution of rivers, but points out effluence is dumped in Christchurch’s Avon River by the city council.
“Urban population is responsible for 80 percent of the world’s pollution, and that’s water and air pollution,” he told Firstline this morning.
Mr McKenzie says the industry does realise the impact it has on the environment and is taking steps to work on this.
“The dairy industry is about to come out with their second iterance of the Clean Streams Accord […] it’s going to make fencing compulsory,” he says.
3 News