She's a brave woman, that Doetie Keiser van der Val!
Standing up and saying, 'No new dairy farms in Southland!' - not only standing up but getting out on the streets of Invercargill and saying it! Collecting signatures too, from Southlanders who agree with her call to cap the numbers of dairy farms.
Doetie says we have enough already and so far 400 people have agreed with her strongly enough to put their names to the petition that will go through to Parliament (cc to other agencies like Environment Southland and DoC, who might be very interested to gauge public feeling on this issue).
Backing the call, inadvertently perhaps, is Fish and Game NZ chief executive Bryce Johnstone who wrote about the Waituna situation in last week's Southland Times , saying 'The only solution, therefore, is to place land-use restrictions on farms operating in the catchment of this internationally significant Ramsar site'.
He closes with 'The clock is ticking for Waituna and the nation's patience is wearing thin.'
Mrs Keiser van der Val is timing her protest very well but should expect some focused response from the Feds.
Our 'letters to the editor' columns will be interesting in coming days!
6 comments:
How about a petition about petitions?
It'd take a brave man ...
I wonder if some of the feds actually support her views. There must be some feds that are in agreement that too much intensive farming is harming the image of farmers in New Zealand.
Do people still swim in the Aparima?
Anon - there may well be though their 'heads' are keeping to the line that the farmers farm is his alone to do with what he/she will and the thought of restrictions is appalling! There are farmers, especially those growing sheep, who are dismayed at the growth and effect of dairy farming in Southland and around Waituna in particular who would like to see controls on development. I sense the public agree with that sentiment very much and Doetie's petition reflects that feeling.
Wildcrafty - haven't seen any for some time now. It's too cold for me :-) but the last time I went out to the Whitegates with my rolled-up towel under my arm and my speedoes hauled up high, I wouldn't go into the water, so smelly was it.
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