17 Sep 2025

Nitrate emergency declared for Canterbury's waterways

From Checkpoint, 5:18 pm on 17 September 2025

Canterbury Regional Council has declared a nitrate emergency for the district's waterways and drinking water, following a fiery meeting today. The battle lines have been drawn, with Federated Farmers and the Agriculture Minister joining some councillors in branding the move a political stunt. Other councillors are calling for action on what they called a crisis. Keiller MacDuff reports.