Rivers
Water campaigner on export decision: 'It's just plainly not fair'
A water rights campaigner is devastated by the news that a major West Coast water export project has been approved.
Time for radical approaches to protect our environment?
Anthropologist Professor Dame Anne Salmond explores new frameworks for protecting New Zealand's rivers and the rights of all of us to enjoy them. Meanwhile environmental law expert at the University… Audio
Govt forced to extend swimmable waterways deadline
The government will give scientists extra time to respond to its proposed 'swimmability' standards after it failed to provide them with evidence the new standards will be tougher.
River campaigner challenges effluent rules
Northland's river campaigner Millan Ruka is challenging the Northland Regional Council over the way it measures the effect of dairy effluent draining into rivers, as Lois Williams reports. Audio
Maori grannies call for conservation orders over rivers
Environmental groups are backing the call by a group of Maori grandmothers for conservation orders over more than three dozen South Island rivers. Audio
Are the muddy waters any clearer?
It's been exactly a week since the government announced its best efforts on improving freshwater- swimmable lakes and rivers in 90 percent of the country in just over two decades. Massey University's… Audio
Unswimmable Canterbury lake now swimmable under new rules
Washdyke in South Canterbury would be classified as swimmable under the new water standards, but locals says it definitely isn't. Video, Audio
Prof. David Hamilton on state of lakes, rivers
Professor David Hamilton leads the water quality group for the Lake Ecosystem Restoration New Zealand organisation and says our waterways are a mixed bag and not all are polluted. Audio
Our Waterways: A Farmer's Perspective
The Government's target to boost water quality in lakes and rivers has come under fire. We speak to a dairy farmer who says the science and numbers won't change a thing Audio
Waterways will be riskier to swim in, rural GP network says
The Rural General Practice Network understands that under the government's revised standards, the water that New Zealanders can swim in will be riskier in terms of exposure to E-coli. Video, Audio
Government aims for 90% swimmable waterways by 2040
The government announced today it wants to make 90% of the country's rivers and lakes swimmably by 2040, but critics say that's meaningless. RNZ political reporter Benedict Collins reports. Audio
Environmentalists condemn new water quality standards
Forest & Bird says the new standards for New Zealand waterways allow for a five-fold increase in the chance of getting sick from swimming in rivers. Audio
Ecologist, Mike Joy criticises govts swimmable rivers target
The Government today announced a target of 90 per cent of New Zealand's lakes and rivers meeting swimmable water quality standards by 2040, alongside releasing new policy, regulations, information… Audio
'They've signed off on everything we've done'
A Canterbury dairy farmer is defending the use of public land 50 metres from the Rakaia River, saying the regional council has let him farm it since 1990. Video
Council to use 'rule book' for river bank development
Canterbury's regional council is stopping agricultural use of braided river margins that breaches the rules, but says not all development required consent. Audio
'They've basically stolen public land'
It defies belief that almost 12,000 hectares of land on the margins of Canterbury's rivers has been converted for intensive agriculture, an environmental group says.
ECan responds to farm creep claims
A regional council report details "agricultural encroachment" on the margins, or berm lands, of 24 of Canterbury's rivers. Environment Canterbury Don Chittock responds Audio
Canterbury farms creep onto public river banks
A new report shows Canterbury farmers have acquired thousands of hectares of public land for their own use.
The history of NZ's rivers
Kathryn Ryan talks to Dr Catherine Knight who has charted both the physical and cultural history of Aotearoa's rivers in her new book "New Zealand's Rivers: An Environmental History" (Canterbury… Audio
Re-building healthy rivers
Freshwater ecologist Dr Catherine Febria, talks to Kathryn Ryan about boosting healthy resilience in polluted rivers. Audio
