I read the letters to the editor column of the Southland Times every morning and with great interest.
They are a good voice for Southlanders and it is important to hear what others are saying.
Lately, some letter writers have chosen the council of Environment Southland as their topic.
Some have said that the council has gone soft with its new rule to better manage the rapid spread of dairying in Southland. others have said that the council ought to leave farming to the farmers and stop the rule in its tracks.
No councillors have written to share their views, perhaps wanting to keep their heads below the parapet, but I've stuck mine out many times before, so here's my perspective.
A photograph in last weeks Southland Times showed the stern faces and folded arms of farmers who turned out for a "silent protest" at Environment Southland.
They were there to protest the new rule designed to protect the rivers from the increasing pressure from dairy farming.
There were more than a hundred farmers squeezed into the rear of the boardroom.
What wasn't shown in the photograph were the thousands and thousands of other Southlanders who very much want their rivers to be clean enough to swim in and picnic beside.
Some councillors are vocal in their support for the farming community, while others recognise that the rest of Southland needs to be represented too and aren't so easily swayed by protest.
As one letter writer said, it's important to think about these things when the time comes to vote for your councillors and I fully agree with him on that.
4 comments:
Yes Robert your letter was excellent I sent this in on Monday they havnt yet printed it Maybe be the sentiment may upset "some in the community " :) is why they wont print it.
As a representative of the silent majority of Southlanders, I applauded Environment Southland for finally acknowledging their election mandate to manage our environment ; in proposing stricter rules and conditions on those who are polluting our waterways.
It was disappointing to find the Environment Southland council have instead have chosen to bow under to a group of known polluters by delaying action. These people bombarded and intimidated the council they behaved like spoilt brats whom see themselves as elitists in our community. They were in their display last week, saying they should be allowed to continue polluting regardless of the consequences to the environment, and the rest of the Southland communities wishes.
The excuse used by the polluters was we need more consultation deliberately ignoring the volumes of discussion that have taken place for some years now over the increase degrading of our waterways. They choose to ignore the time they were given to self manage their industry, which has been revealed as a complete waste of time and effort as it was by many of them generally ignored.
The leaders of Federated Farmers and the Dairy Industry for some time now have tried to delay action using puffery about science as the answer to pollution. Yet most intelligent people know pollution is a behavioural problem not a scientific problem.
Our water is too precious, to be allowed to continue been polluted to suit the interests of a greedy minority of Southlanders, Its time for action to assure we have the water quality we in this community deserve.
......showed the stern faces and folded arms of farmers who turned out for a "silent protest" at Environment Southland.
There were more than a hundred farmers squeezed into the rear of the boardroom.
What wasn't shown in the photograph were the thousands and thousands of other Southlanders....
How strangely refreshing to read that you are downplaying a protest by one hundred concerned citizens, and pointing out that there are thousands and thousands of others with a differing point of view.
Well done!
This vast majority thing could catch on.
Well, Pauline, you've not held back with your opinion there!
If they publish that, expect some reaction from the farming community!
Good luck.
Anon - my intention is not to downplay the protest by the farmers, but to add balance to the public perception and remind people that it's not just farmers affected by these things, but all Southlanders.
I've had a lot of positive feedback as a result :-)
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