Green part announces today that there should be strict rules for seepage of dairy farm to avoid rivers from contamination during extreme weather conditions like heavy rains etc.

Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman said that recent epidemic of heavy rain has exposed rules set by regional councils in relation to the storage of dairy effluent. As a result of heavy rains all the rivers are polluted with faecal material and nitrogen run off.

The soil should be dry enough to absorb the dairy effluents but this time due to wet weather few farmers in South Otago and Southland have reached their storage limit of dairy shed and has sprayed effluent onto soaked land. The dairy farms who fail to fall in line are compelled to be suspended by the Environment Southland.

Dr Norman said that with the spraying of liters of cow faeces and urine on wet ground has increased pollution in rivers. Farmers who are already under stress of dealing with the worst rains in decades have to face extra problem by pollution caused due to rivers. When effluent gets sprayed on soaked soils, it runs directly into groundwater and finally reaches rivers, causing water pollution.

He also said that some lowland areas of New Zealand are suffering with freshwater crisis and dealing with polluted rivers causing threat to the freshwater fish. Although farmers may cope with the epidemic of heavy rains but it became difficult for them to handle river pollution so regional councils should develop some strict rules on the storage of dairy effluents.

Further he mentioned that proper rules should be prepared by regional councils regarding storage of effluent until soil are dry and it should not be restricted to few areas like Southland and Otago rather it should be followed throughout the nation.

Regional councils should also provide proper guidance to the farmers to deal with the extremities of climate and also guide them steps of keeping away from polluted water, said by Green MP.

According to Dr. Norman, farmers and regional councils need proper direction from the government to prepare rules for the climate change including effluent storage rules but Minister for the Environment Nick Smith had refused to provide it.