How sustainable is our current water use in Canterbury?

1. How sustainable is our current water use in Canterbury? Roger B Young Chairman Water Rights Trust

2. Water Rights Trust • Charitable trust registered in Nov 2002 • Formed out of concern for the state of Canterbury’s water • Dedicated to upholding the equitable rights of present and future generations to clean, sustainable waterways

3. What’s so important about fresh water in Canterbury? • 70% of NZ’s irrigated land is in Canterbury • 58% of total water allocated in NZ • 65% of NZ’s hydroelectric storage capacity • Christchurch city enjoys one of the cleanest untreated water supplies in the world

4. Current water use in Canterbury • 4,991,000,000 m³ consented per year • 59.3% surface water, 40% ground water • 71.8% used for irrigation, 14.1% for stock, 7.7% for drinking, 6.4% industry • Actual use may only be 57% of consented • As few as 40% of consents > 20 ℓ/s have meters installed (new regs gazetted Aug 2010, effective Nov 2010, delayed implementation 2012-2016)

5. 2010/2011 water use in Canterbury 7,022 wells 2,366 had meters installed 801 returned data that met requirements for calculating water use 11.4% of wells returned useful data 19.7% of surface takes metered

8. 91% of actual use

9. 87% of total

10. “Sustainable” and the RMA Part 2 s 5 Resource Management Act 1991 Reprinted as at 1 October 2011 Part 2 Purpose and principles 5 Purpose (1) The purpose of this Act is to promote the sustainable management of natural and physical resources. (2) In this Act, sustainable management means managing the use, development, and protection of natural and physical resources in a way, or at a rate, which enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic, and cultural well-being and for their health and safety while— (a) sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources (excluding minerals) to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations; and (b) safeguarding the life-supporting capacity of air, water, soil, and ecosystems; and (c) avoiding, remedying, or mitigating any adverse effects of activities on the environment.

11. “Sustainable” and the ECan Act Vision and principles of Canterbury Water Management Strategy—Strategic Framework, November 2009 Part 1 Vision and principles Vision To enable present and future generations to gain the greatest social, economic, recreational and cultural benefits from our water resources within an environmentally sustainable framework. Fundamental principles Primary principles 1 Sustainable management Water is a public resource which must be managed in accordance with sustainability principles and be consistent with the Resource Management and Local Government Acts. 2 Regional approach • The planning of natural water use is guided by the following: • first order priority considerations: the environment, customary uses, community supplies and stock water • second order priority considerations: irrigation, renewable electricity generation, recreation, tourism and amenity

12. Growing for good (2004) • Farming more intensive – more external inputs • Farming dependent on ‘natural capital’ – water, soil, biodiversity • NZ’s waterways and lakes becoming nutrient enriched and degraded • To remain viable, environment in which farming is based needs to be sustained in a healthy condition

15. Growing for good … cont. • “…human societies need to live off the ‘interest’ of natural capital, instead of using up or degrading the natural resource base” • “…existing initiatives are not sufficiently profound or widespread enough to make a real and lasting difference. More fundamental change is required”

16. What’s happened since 2002? • Further degradation of water quality • Excess nitrate levels

17. Drinking water standard < 11.3mg/l Ecologically toxic > 1.7mg/l 21% of the 222 wells ECan monitor showed significant increase in nitrate levels from 2000 to 2009 Measures from 1999 to 2009 show 30% of lowland streams in very poor health

18. What’s happened since 2002? • Degraded water quality • Excess nitrate levels • Increased toxic algae blooms

19. November 3, 2011 Health Warning – Algal Bloom in Lake Forsyth/ Te Wairewa The Community and Public Health division of Canterbury District Health Board have issued a health warning this week after toxic blue-green algae (planktonic cyanobacteria) were found in Lake Forsyth/ Te Wairewa. People should stay out of the water at this site until the health warnings have been lifted. Toxic algae are particularly dangerous for dogs, so they should be kept away from the water. Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says the algal bloom can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. “Exposure may cause skin rashes, nausea, stomach cramps, tingling and numbness around the mouth and fingertips. If you experience any of these symptoms after contact with contaminated water, visit your doctor immediately,” Dr Humphrey says. “No one should drink the water from the lake at any time, even if it has been boiled because boiling does not remove the toxin.” Animals should be taken to a vet immediately if they come into contact with water contaminated by the algal bloom or if they display any unusual symptoms. Fish and shellfish can concentrate toxins and their consumption should be avoided. Environment Canterbury monitors this site weekly during summer and the public will be advised of any changes in water quality that are of public health significance. November 3, 2011 Health Warning – Algal Bloom in Lake Forsyth/ Te Wairewa The Community and Public Health division of Canterbury District Health Board have issued a health warning this week after toxic blue-green algae (planktonic cyanobacteria) were found in Lake Forsyth/ Te Wairewa. People should stay out of the water at this site until the health warnings have been lifted. Toxic algae are particularly dangerous for dogs, so they should be kept away from the water. Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Dr Alistair Humphrey says the algal bloom can produce toxins harmful to humans and animals. “Exposure may cause skin rashes, nausea, stomach cramps, tingling and numbness around the mouth and fingertips. If you experience any of these symptoms after contact with contaminated water, visit your doctor immediately,” Dr Humphrey says. “No one should drink the water from the lake at any time, even if it has been boiled because boiling does not remove the toxin.” Animals should be taken to a vet immediately if they come into contact with water contaminated by the algal bloom or if they display any unusual symptoms. Fish and shellfish can concentrate toxins and their consumption should be avoided. Environment Canterbury monitors this site weekly during summer and the public will be advised of any changes in water quality that are of public health significance.

20. What’s happened since 2002? • Degraded water quality • Excess nitrate levels • Increased toxic algae blooms • Rural water supplies unsafe

22. What’s happened since 2002? • Excessive abstraction of ground water • Irrigated area in Canterbury increased from 287,000ha to 500,000ha • Ten red zones – ground water fully allocated

24. What’s happened since 2002? • Total cows (2002-2011) in Cant. increased by 386,700 or 125% • Equivalent excrement load of 5.4m humans • Cows per hectare in Cant. increased 13.8% • 1.4m tonnes palm kernel imported to NZ in 2010, (408 tonnes in 1999) • Up to 35% of Canterbury farm staff are now from overseas

26. What’s happened since 2002? • Clean Streams Accord • May 2003, industry parties agreed “to work together to achieve clean healthy water” • 5 key targets; only partial achievement after 8 years • MAF audit of stock exclusion; Cant. 65% vs 82% claimed in Accord • Total failure in key target of effluent disposal from dairy sheds

27. “… a totally unacceptable story of effluent management … I’m putting non-complying dairy farmers across the country on notice. You need to take individual responsibility for this issue…” David Carter, 18/3/10.

29. What’s happened in planning? • Canterbury Water Management Strategy (CWMS) – November 2009 • Over 6 years collaboration by stakeholders • Integrated water management to achieve multiple objectives; environmental, economic, cultural & social • Management of cumulative effects • First order priorities; environment, customary use, community water supplies, stock water • Second order priorities; irrigation, renewable electricity generation, recreation, amenity

30. What’s happened in planning? • Canterbury Draft Implementation Programme; issued 1st March 2012 • Prioritise establishment of environmental limits; targets by 2015 • Identify areas not meeting catchment load limits and implement actions to ensure no further enrichment • Irrigated land targets by 2015 • Increase the area of irrigated land and/or the reliability of irrigation • Potential to increase irrigated land in 4 key catchments • Aggregate of up to 250,000 additional hectares • If only 40% of that used for dairy => 329,000 extra cows

31. What’s happened in politics? • Fresh water clean-up fund; $265m of tax payers money to cleanup Lake Taupo, Rotorua Lakes & Waikato River; $6.1m for Te Waihora/Ellesmere • Irrigation Acceleration Fund; $35m over 5yrs • $400m from state asset sales invested in water storage from 2013

32. What’s happening to our WCO’s? • TrustPower have applied to vary Rakaia WCO • 62,000 additional hectares irrigated • By 2024 82,000 additional cows • Effluent equivalent of 1.1 million humans • On top of 160% increase in cow numbers over last 10 years in North Canterbury

39. How sustainable is farm intensification? • Total NZ farm debt March 2010 = $47.3b

40. February 2012 = $47,523 million

41. How sustainable is farm intensification? • Total NZ farm debt March 2010 = $47.3b • 65% represented by dairy farming • 4 fold increase in past 10 years • Up 20% on 2009 • Now $2.8m per average dairy farm • Average of $21.65/kgms (Aust. A$7.50) • 15% of dairy farms have debt of $35/kgms • Over $2b interest p.a. to overseas banks • 2009-2010 average price/ha for dairy land was $32,000 (Vic Aust. A$12,000/ha)

46. Is current water use sustainable? • Already degraded waterways getting worse • Unsustainable existing land uses and farming practices • Lax enforcement of existing rules & regs, little consequence for non-compliance • Lack of individual or industry responsibility for effects • Contrary to CWMS, additional irrigation and further farm intensification emerging as the first order priority • No recourse under ECan Act

47. An inconvenient truth Expansion of irrigation on the scale contemplated in Canterbury and the further intensification of farming, can only occur with further degradation of the waterways. It is not a sustainable water use.

48. What are the solutions? • Honour the CWMS • Land uses that are truly sustainable • Immediate adoption of improved farming practices utilizing latest technology • Set cautionary nutrient limits, now • Levy on all water users • More rigorous compliance • Dairy Co. premiums/penalties: eg Synlait • More efficient/strategic use of fresh water • Reduce stock rates in some catchments

49. How far does a litre of water go? • 1kg fresh mushrooms; 30 litres • 1kg potatoes; 75 litres • 1kg wheat; 500 litres • 1 litre of milk in Canterbury; 800 to 1,200 litres of water • 1 kilo of milk powder in Canterbury; 8,000-12,000 litres (excluding power) • 1 Kilo of butter from Canterbury milk; 16,000-24,000litres

50. That’s US $55 for a litre of Canterbury water !