10. Hon DAVID CARTER (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Agriculture
Is he satisfied with the progress of the Sustainable Water Programme of Action?
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Minister of Agriculture) Link to this
No, I am not fully satisfied. The Sustainable Water Programme of Action is a comprehensive attempt to improve the way that New Zealand manages its fresh water. This is not a trivial exercise. It involves deep and complex issues that go to the heart of our economy and our consciousness as New Zealanders. Issues such as the supply, quality, and accessibility of water are intergenerational matters. They do not arise suddenly, and they are not fixed quickly when they do.
Is the Minister aware that his second-most senior Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry official, Paul Reynolds, the Assistant Director-General, said at a public meeting last month in Rotorua that the programme should be known as the “Water Programme of Inaction”, and why would such a senior official make such a statement?
I think even the most talented and valuable public servants are entitled to a bad day at the office.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
What other Government activity contributes to advancing the objectives of the Sustainable Water Programme of Action?
The Government has a proud record of investing in projects and programmes that contribute to improving water management towards New Zealand’s future generations. Currently, $22 million a year is invested in freshwater research through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. Since its inception the Sustainable Farming Fund has provided over $22 million to 30 project teams working on projects to improve water-quality management in the primary sectors, $36.7 million has been provided as the Government’s share of the Lake Taupō water-quality protection programme, $4 million has been committed to the Ōhau channel diversion project to improve Lake Rotoiti’s water quality, and $2 million has been provided for the development of the Waitaki catchment plan. In addition to these initiatives, the recently announced sustainable land management and climate change plan of action will provide impetus to reducing sediment and nitrogen discharges to water.
Acknowledging the programme is going badly, why did the Minister then say in May 2006 that “we need this action to get moving”, and what has he actually done with this flagship Government initiative other than just talk about it?
If the member was listening he heard what was going on about water quality, and I have to say that in the 9 years between 1990 and 1999 that the National Party was in Government it did nothing whatever about the supply, access, or quality of water in New Zealand.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
Can the Minister explain the advice given today to the Local Government and Environment Committee from the Auditor-General on the $200 million sustainable development programme of action launched in 2003 that the announced special Cabinet committee of Ministers never met, and that their programme states, according to the Auditor-General: “Governance for the programme of action was less clear because of a lack of ministerial meetings.”; and how does he reconcile the Prime Minister mentioning the word “sustainability” 38 times with the fact that the ministerial group set to do it never met?
Far be it from me to make any criticism about the qualities of the Auditor-General in the areas of competence and expertise that he has. But I can tell the House and the Auditor-General, if he asks me, that I have personally been to innumerable meetings with other Ministers about the sustainable water-quality project and I never saw the Auditor-General at any one of them. If he had actually asked me, I would have told him many there had been.
Is the Minister also aware of the further statement from Assistant Director-General, Paul Reynolds, that the Sustainable Water Programme of Action is “stalled at this juncture because our engagement with Māori has not run smoothly”, and does the Minister agree with Mr Reynolds?
No, I have not heard of that, but I am sure that I will hear comment from Mr Reynolds at the pre-Cabinet meeting on Monday.
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Tēnā koe, Madam Speaker. Kia ora tātou. In progressing the Sustainable Water Programme of Action, what legal grounds does the Government rely on to assert that it owns water?
The Government does not say that it owns water. Water is, in the Government’s view, a public resource and is dealt with on that basis.
Hon Dr Nick Smith Link to this
I seek leave of the House to table the report of the Controller and Auditor-General on the Government’s sustainable development programme of action.
Madam SPEAKERTe Ururoa Flavell Link to this
What is the Government’s position regarding customary ownership of resources such as water, as set out in Article 2 of Te Tiriti o Waitangi?
The Government’s view is, of course, that there are many areas of common interest, particularly in terms of customary issues with Māori aspirations for fresh water, and the Government’s goals of the water programme. An example of that is the need to halt over time the despoliation of water and the decline in water quality in our lowland rivers and lakes. We believe that fruitful and important discussions and consultations have to go on with Māoridom, and those are in progress as we speak.