In 2013, 61% of our waterways were unsafe for swimming. Since then, National has spouted a lot of rhetoric about how its going to "protect and improve the water quality that we all care so much about", while introducing "standards" which do nothing of the sort. The aim here is to create the impression of action while letting farmers continue to poison our rivers. The problem? The environment doesn't lie. And so now two-thirds of our waterways are unsafe for swimming:
Most New Zealand rivers were unsafe to swim in last summer.The message is clear: National is ruining our rivers for the profit of a tiny farming elite. And if we want to stop it, we need to change the government. It's that simple.
Figures from local authorities obtained by the Green Party show two thirds of the waterways monitored were ranked too dirty to dive into during last year's holiday season.
Of the sites tested, 63 of the 166 were ranked as poor and 46 as very poor.
Those ratings mean swimmers are at risk of getting gastro-intestinal illnesses and infections.
