Two public consultation meetings for the Government's Action for Healthy Waterways proposals attracted large crowds in Invercargill and Winton, with public assurances that additional Southland meetings would be held. 

The latter meeting, held at the Winton Bridge Club on Thursday morning, exceeded its capacity of 150 attendees.

However, the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) said there would further meetings in Southland because of the huge environmental and farmer interest group response.

The submission deadline has also been extended by two weeks to October 31. 

The proposed suite of changes aims to stop the further degradation of New Zealand’s freshwater resources and restore aquatic ecosystems.

It includes three management proposals to replace the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (NPS-FM), to propose a national environment standard for freshwater, and a draft regulation for stock exclusion from certain waterways.

The package also proposes to introduce tighter controls on urban stormwater, wastewater and drinking water regulations and drinking water consultations will begin with regional councils in the middle of next year. 

Government representatives addressed audiences in a series of South Island meetings last week. 

In Southland, Waipahi farmer Logan Wallace questioned the need for farm plans with a freshwater module to be signed off by an environmental planner.

As the 2018 Otago-Southland Ballance Farm Environment Award winner, he argued farm plans done by farmers usually had a better outcome than using an independent consultant carried some weight. 

Mr Wallace belongs to the Pomahaka River Water Care Group with 160 dry stock and dairy farmers practising intensive winter grazing around Waipahi and Wairuna, representing half the catchment.

Water quality tests had been carried out over four years showing a “huge improvement” with a drop in nitrates in the water and E. coli, he said when interviewed later. 

Waituna beef farmer and Southland Catchment Group project chair Raewyn van Gool argued it “takes the local community to improve the environment,” when she addressed the audience.

The restoration of the Waituna Lagoon took a concerted effort by locals who volunteered to adhere to an environment plan to reduce nitrogen levels, she said. 

As a result, the lagoon that once was the subject of adverse news media attention was now admired. An Environment Southland Healthy River award was given to local participants in the restoration project, Ms Gool said.

However, even although there were data to prove her own farm had reduced nitrogen levels in the Waituna wetland, no credit in the form of accreditations of mitigation work had been given for the fact, she said. 

“Southland farmers need to pat themselves on the back. It is much better than the perception given out there.”