John MacDonald: Nitrate emergency? Do me a favour

I wonder if the person who called me a tofu-eating, sandal-wearing, treehugger yesterday will have a bit of a re-think when they see what I’ve got to say about Environment Canterbury declaring a nitrate emergency.  

I’m with Federated Farmers, which is saying it’s nothing more than a political stunt. But it’s not just that, it’s a very naive political stunt. Because show me one of these so-called “emergency” declarations that have done any good.  

What about the Christchurch City Council’s climate emergency? Is that still a thing? Or have they quietly pulled the plug on that one?  

The other thing that makes ECan’s stunt particularly naive is that it’s the outfit still dishing out consents for more dairy farming in Canterbury. There are about 950,000 dairy cows in Canterbury and ECan is currently considering applications for another 10,000.   

I’ll come back to Federated Farmers because they’re not the only ones who aren’t happy about this emergency declaration – some ECan councillors themselves are brassed off, as well.  

So what happened yesterday is one of ECan’s outgoing councillors put forward the motion to declare the emergency and for ECan to “take a leadership role to urgently address the issue of groundwater pollution impacting drinking water sources and supplies”. 

Vicky Southworth is the councillor who put forward the motion at what was her very last ECan meeting. It was her last meeting, and it was the council’s last meeting before next month’s elections.  

The vote was close —9 in favour, 7 against— and some of the councillors who voted against it were pretty angry at yesterday’s meeting.  

Nick Ward is one of them. He said it was “grandstanding”. Another councillor, John Sunckell, said he’s spent 15 years trying to reduce nitrates, and “I just feel really pissed off with this little political stunt”.  

They both said nitrates levels are expected to decline over time and that rural communities had worked hard and collaboratively over decades to lower nitrates, and that “emergency” was the wrong word to use.  

Federated Farmers agrees. It’s slamming the move, with its vice-president Colin Hurst describing it as a “shameless political stunt that won’t help anyone”.    

If Councillor Southworth was so concerned about the nitrates, she wouldn’t be leaving. She’d be putting herself forward for re-election, just like outgoing chairperson Craig Pauling. He voted in favour of the nitrate emergency, but he’s moving on as well. Again, if he’s so worried about it, then he’d be trying to get elected again too.  

Instead, they can walk away feeling all virtuous, thinking they’ve done something positive and have made a difference. Do me a favour. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from News Talks AB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I wonder you might have heard this yesterday. You might
not have, but I wonder if the person who called
me a tofu eating sandal wearing tree huggy yesterday, I
wonder if I'll have a bit of a rethink about
that when they hear what I've got to say about
he Can declaring a nightrate emergency. They might, because they

(00:35):
tell you what I'm with Federated Farmers, which are saying
that this is nothing more than a political stunt. And
it's not just sad, it's a very naive political stunt,
because show me one of these so called emergency declarations
that have done any good or achieved anything. Let me
remind you what about the christ At City Council's climate emergency.

(00:59):
Is that still a thing? What do you think they've
quietly pulled the plug on that one. The other thing
that makes e Can's stunt particularly naive is that this
is the outfit that is still dishing out consents for
more dairy farming in Canterbury. What have we got nine
hundred and fifty thousand dairy cows in Canterbury and he

(01:21):
CAN is currently considering applications for another ten thousand. Let
me come back to Federated Farmers because they're not the
only ones who aren't happy about this emergency declaration. Some
e CAN counselors themselves they're brast off too. So let
me's run through what happened yesterday. One of the can's

(01:42):
outgoing counselors put forward this motion to declare the emergency
and for Environment Canterbury to quote take a leadership role
to urgently address the issue of groundwater pollution impacting drinking
water sources and supplies end of quote. And Vicky Southworth

(02:03):
is the counselor who put this on the table at
her very last e CAM meeting. It was her last
meeting and it was the councilor's last meeting before next
month's elections. Not that she's leaving with everyone's best wishes,
I suspect because the vote was close, nine in favor,
seven against, and some of the councilors who voted against

(02:24):
they were pretty angry yesterday's meeting. Nick Ward is one
of them. He said it was quite grandstanding. And another councilor,
John Suncle he said he spent fifteen years trying to
reduce night trates and quote, I just feel really pissed
off with this little political stunt end of quote. They

(02:45):
both said at the meeting yesterday that night trade levels
are expected to decline over time, and that rural communities
have worked hardened collaboratively over decades to lower night trates,
and that emergency was the wrong word to use. Federated
Farmers has come back to them. They agree. They're slamming
the move, with its vice president Colin Hurst describing it

(03:08):
as a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone. He
was on the blower in Mike earlier.

Speaker 3 (03:12):
We know there's night trade issues and farmers are doing
their bit and we're working with the council constructively. Yeah,
it's hugely.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Diverse, Mike, and Colin Hurst says it's not just farmers
they should be copying the blame for the night trates either.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
We've got examples of an old meatwork in some areas
where there's a hole of septy panks, so it's just
not farming, and it goes back in number of years
as well, so it can go back. We've had some
people come up with some information that goes back to
the sixties a has been night trade issues.

Speaker 2 (03:41):
So I'm with Federaid Farmers, I'm a Colin Hurst, and
I'm with the ECM councilors who voted against this virtue
signaling exercise, because that is exactly what it is. If
council of Icky Southworth was so concerned about the nitrates,
then she wouldn't be leaving, would she. She'd be putting
herself forward for reelection, just like outgoing chairperson Craig Pauling.

(04:03):
He voted in favor of the night trade emergency, but
he's moving on as well. Again, Craig, give you so
worried about it, then why are you trying to get
re elected again so you can do something about it?
But oh no, oh no, they can walk away feeling
all virtuous because they've sorted out the night trait problem.
They've got the house in order. I mean, do me

(04:24):
a favor, Do me a favor.

Speaker 1 (04:27):
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