The Country 17/09/25: Nicola Grigg talks to Jamie Mackay

The Acting Minister of Agriculture and Horticulture rubbishes the call from an outgoing ECan Councillor to declare a “nitrate emergency” in Canterbury.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just when you thought things couldn't get worse that he can.
One of the counselors wants to declare a nitrate emergency
to discuss this emergency, Acting agg Minister and Minister of
Horticulture and proud Cantabrian Nicola Gregg. What's in the water
up there, Nicola, That's probably a dumb question.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
Well, all sorts of very good things are in the water,
but you know it has to be acknowledged there are
nitrates in our water. There has been historical bad practice,
you know, in over thirty years. But what I would
say is is every single farm across Canterbury that I
know of are going to the ends of the earth
to employ really really high, world class standards of environmental

(00:40):
practice and are going beyond what they need to do
to be cleaning up our waterways. And I think attacks
like this serve no purpose. They have no legal standing,
They are simply inflammatory and are doing nothing but pit
that urban urban against or once again, right when things

(01:02):
were starting to settle down and look really really good.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
But this is just one environment Canterbury counselor grand standing
ahead of the local body elections. Or is this the
view or is this the view of can across the board.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
As it transpires, I understand she's actually not standing again,
So I don't understand why she would feel the need
to cause such consternation and angst again amongst the rural
Canterbury community when, as I say, it will serve no purpose.

(01:36):
This declaration has no legal effect.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
You would have caught up with David Clark's story. We
covered it earlier in the week on the show here
just roadblock after the roadblock, the blog's going to have
to spend fifty grand just to stay consented for farming.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, and it's again, it's just a napsic nonsense. I
know David very well. Our family farm is very close
to his farm as well, and I would rate David
as one of BBS farmers in New Zealand. And it
just goes to show that if he can't meet requirements
and expectations then they are simply out of touch. And
this is why as a government we are working so
hard and fast to try and rewrite the RMA, which

(02:14):
will be legislated for by next year, which is going
to shift the dial on rules around land use consents,
water use consents, all of that kind of thing where
you know, it's the premise of an RMA consent will
be to say yes as opposed to say no. It
will be to consider the positive effects on the environment

(02:36):
as opposed to the negative effects. So we're really going
to turn this thing on its head and enable our
most productive economy in the country to get on with
doing what it does best, and that is farming.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
Shane Jones wants rid of regional councils. Has he got
merit in that argument?

Speaker 2 (02:52):
Well, if you're sitting in Canterbury today, you'd probably agree
with him, wouldn't you.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
And you know what's going on down on Southland. They're
farmers getting all sorts of voices for activities when they've
done effectively nothing wrong.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Yeah, and you could say the same for the West Coast,
at the North Island, around Kapati, all those areas there
are we have. You know, I've got a pile of
examples from farmers across New Zealand which are just butting
up against regional councils and their interpretation of rules. It
seems to me to be overly zealous at times quite
pernicious and we've really got to come back to the

(03:26):
facts here. You know, if you talk to one of
the councilors on he can one of the you know,
I think the more sensible counselors. He would tell you
that this particular example in Canterbury, they're using wells that
are known to be in high night trait spots. They're
the same wells showing the same levels for the past
thirty five years in Canterbury. This is not new, it's

(03:47):
a well documented legacy issue. Equally, I hear people you
know throwing up concern about the potential for bowel cancer
to be caused by natrix and water. Well, that's, you know,
it's a very valid, genuine concerned to have. But look
to Bowcans in New Zealand. Look to their website itself
states that night trates and water are quote highly unlikely

(04:07):
to increase the risk of bow cancer in New Zealand.
I hear people, you know talking about blue baby syndrome
being coursed, Well, it is very very rare. There has
been two hospitalizations in the whole country between twenty twelve
and twenty one of babies and neither could conclude the
symptoms were caused by night trates. So we've got to
be very clear on the facts here before the hysteria

(04:30):
starts up. And I would say this hysteria has been
stoked along by irresponsible representatives on regional councils.

Speaker 1 (04:37):
Nichola, Gregg, just check on your horticulture Minister's hat. Industry
is largely doing very very well. I do have to
feel for the avocado growers. They always seem to be
up against it, and yesterday we heard news around Bay
are plenty of avocado crops being smashed by the high winds.
She's a tough business growing anything, Yeah, yeah, it is.

Speaker 2 (04:59):
You know, say that for farming across the board. If
you haven't got regional councils editating against you, you've got
the weather. Well, you know, we can try and do
something about one, but we can't quite do much about
the other. But look, I really do feel for those growers.
When is no good for avocados that causes rub that,
you know, it makes them look far less desirable when
they're on the shop shelves, and that is very unfortunate

(05:20):
for them. But I'm afraid we can't We can't help
with the weather.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
Jamie Nichola, you'd be a millennial, wouldn't you.

Speaker 2 (05:26):
I doubt it.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
What year were you born.

Speaker 2 (05:30):
Oh, Damie, that's a personal question, but nineteen eighty. I'm
a child of the eighties.

Speaker 1 (05:34):
Oh well, your generation X. You've just missed out on
being a millennial. Sorry, and I didn't want to ask
a lady her aged Nicholas, but I was just I
was just thinking, you know, millennial smashed avocado on toast,
but you've missed that by one year. I have, I have.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
I'm probably still baking an eggs on toast kind of girl.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
Good on you. Thanks for your time today.

Speaker 2 (05:56):
Thank you.