Cut cow numbers - Feds

"Dairy farmers on light soils may have to accept a cut in cow numbers to reduce their nitrogen leaching, says Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills.

They would have no other alternative, he said in an interview to mark the end of his three-year term."

Go Bruce!

How's Wellington's water?

Not good at all, according to No Right Turn.

The Wellington Regional Council 'State of the Environment' report says:

"Urban streams and rural waterways in intensive farming areas are badly degraded, with high levels of nutrients and faecal bacteria.
Streams in Kapiti, Porirua, Waiwhetu, Upper Hutt, Carterton and Masterton are among the worst affected.

Average levels of nitrogen and phosphorus have increased on dairy pasture since the intensification of Wairarapa dairying, threatening waterways."

I/S comments:

" These problems can be solved, but it requires local authorities to limit irrigation and stock numbers and crack down on dirty farming practices"

Hard core, that man. The movie 'River Dogs' painted an appalling picture of river management in the region. This report seems to back up what was shown there. 

*Update hat-tip Anonymous:

"Stormwater pipes are spewing raw sewage into Wellington Harbour.
The harbour is also being polluted with animal faeces, heavy metals, cigarette butts and oil products that are commonly washed into the stormwater system."

'Dairy expansion is key to the economy' - over-excited Harrington

There are a lot of flags being flown in Southland these days, each emblazoned with the $ symbol, blue on blue.

South Port chairman John Harrington believes he can see the future and it's a dirty one, in my view.

Harrington says: 'Dairying ... has the potential to double in Southland from the existing number of 155 000 cows'.
'Agriculture is the realistic way forward.' says Mr Harrington.
He cites too,  a forecast, doubling the global demand for seafood and expresses excitement about Southland's gas, oil and coal-to-urea projects, all of which will push up the cargo volumes that pass through the port of Bluff.
He is but one of the 'high level' players lauding their pet extractive industries in Southland, all of whom parrot the line,
"..a trade-off between economic growth and the environment will be needed."
Trade-off indeed.
Mr Harrington seemed very disappointed that the Government has 'decided not to extract minerals in conservation areas, effectively ruling out a source of wealth for the nation'.
What a disappointment that must have been for him. I can only imagine what his opinion of the 'great unwashed' responsible for the Government's back-down must be!
Still, it's all looking promising for Mr Harrington. His comments positively drip with 'great economic expectations'.