Colin Hurst: Federated Farmers Vice President on Environment Canterbury declaring a nitrate emergency

Frustration from farmers over Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a nitrate emergency. 

It voted —nine to seven— for the declaration after groundwater testing found levels of the chemical increasing in the majority of monitored sites. 

Federated Farmers Vice President Colin Hurst told Mike Hosking solving this problem can take a number of years, but farmers have been working on it. 

He says ECan's put a wedge between farmers and council after yesterday's decision. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
About ECN night trade emergency must be electioncies in any
environment Canterbury, they declared this emergency. They're worried about the groundwater.
You can guess what the farmers think. Colin Hurst is
the third Farmer's Vice Presidents with us Morning Colin Yeah,
Morning nine to seven which was the vote, shows how
contentious it is. I guess is this electioneering?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Most definitely, Mike. Look, this is a cheap political stunt
and the last meeting of a council why now?

Speaker 1 (00:25):
Good question? I think. Also nothing. Actually it's important to
point out nothing happens, does it. I mean they had
a vote and they said, oh it is an emergency.
Nothing actually happens, does it?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No? No, that's right. But look, this is this is
something that farmers we know about. It's been going on
for years. We know there's night trade issues and farmers
are doing their bit and we're working with the council
can constructively. Yeah, it's hugely diverse, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Do we know for a fact the night trade is
all farmers or could there be something else? From history?

Speaker 2 (00:59):
Most definitely. We've got examples of an old meatwork in
some areas where there's a whole of septy canks, so
it's just not farming. And it goes back in a
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 has been nitrade issues.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
Right, So the part that farmers can do are they
doing it?

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Almost definitely. Look, we've had a through the council again,
we've had past ten years, we've had at up to
thirty percent reductions on some of the night trade losses
required by farmers. So there's a lot of work been
going on. There's fencing of their waterways, some of the
new different plants like plantain reduced to nitrogen. We're really
kickle how we apply our good lier nowadays. So there's

(01:41):
lots of things going.

Speaker 1 (01:42):
Okay, So they did ten percent of the wells, they
did a big test on wells that were three hundred
and forty nine wells around the region. Ten percent we're
found to have nitrate levels above the maximum acceptable value
for drinking water. You don't dispute that, do you.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
No, Definitely, we know there's an issue and we're working
on it. What they've done yesterday is providing a wedge
between our farmers that doing a really good job and
the council basically because we have been working with the
council or a number of years to try and to
try and solve these problems.

Speaker 1 (02:14):
Have you got a time frame on it? Can you
tell the council? Look, here's what we're doing, here's why
we're doing it, and here's the effect, and here's what's
going to happen over time.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Yes, I certainly. Well it's a hard one. It takes
Some of it can be immediate, but some of it
can also take a number of years. If we reduce
our farming intention in some areas, it just takes a
number years. It's a bit like the weather, extreme rainfall
and it will wash the night treats through this world exactly.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Well, what I mean it was all driven by green peace,
apart from anything yesterday. Who hate cows? I mean, what
do you do about that?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Well, our farmers are trying. We're investing in a whole
lot in science to to work at what to do. Look,
we would like to work with the whole community constructively.
Well that's what we want to do. Let's just I
thank you.

Speaker 1 (03:11):
I hear you. Frustration, Colin, appreciate your time. Colin Hurst
Federated Farmer's National Vice President.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
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Speaker 1 (03:20):
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