Community support for Cardrona distillery There was unanimous support for a proposed whisky distillery, perfumery and museum at Cardrona, at the valley’s residents and ratepayers’ society meeting this week. PAGE 3
Citizen patrollers sought Wanaka Police are looking for volunteers to get on the beat alongside local police as part of a new community patrol initiative. PAGE 3
THUR 13.03.14 - WED 19.03.14
WANAKA’S INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER
inside:
Competitors listen to a briefing at Glendhu Bay before the swim leg of the off-road triathlon at the tenth Motatapu Off-Road Adventure Race. Story page 11.
Jet sprint awaits consent PAGE 2
Free eye checks PAGE 4 PHOTO: WANAKA.TV
Fish and Game: dairying “gone too far” Jessica Maddock Wanaka Sun
Hawea Flat School triathlon PAGE 9
A Wanaka Fish and Game councillor says a survey revealing New Zealanders’ concerns about the impact of dairying gives the organisation a mandate to continue to fight for balance between agricultural growth and the environment. John Barlow, who had been a Fish and Game elected member for 32 years, said the nationwide survey was not a “whodunit” exercise, as the country’s longterm economic reliance on lowvalue commodities had forced farmers to make their land highly productive. However, this had come at a high cost to the environment and finding
a balance was crucial. The “Farming and the Environment Survey” questioned 3134 New Zealanders aged 18 years and over. It was funded by Fish and Game and carried out by Horizon Research. Fish and Game’s Chief Executive, Bryce Johnson, said key findings included a belief by 37 percent of respondents that New Zealand was too heavily dependent on dairying, and by 31 percent that growth of the industry had “gone too far.” Just over 92 percent said all or most waterways should be safe for swimming, fishing and food gathering, while 70 percent – including 65 percent of farm owners and managers - said dairying
expansion had reduced water quality compared to 20 years ago. Eighty-nine percent – including threequarters of farm owners and managers - believed those who polluted waterways should pay for their restoration, instead of ratepayer-funded regional councils, and nearly eight out of ten people wanted all waterways, including small streams, fenced to keep livestock out. Sixty-seven percent said they would accept large irrigation schemes to enable dairying growth, but only if scientific evidence proved measures were in place to ensure downstream waterways would not be affected. John Barlow said the price farmers had received for their products
had continued to drop in recent decades, forcing them to increase their productivity. However, it was now at a level the environment could not cope with. In the 1980s, there were more than 70 million sheep in New Zealand and half-a-million cattle. Today there were 30 million sheep and 6.6 million cattle. Given a cattle beast created more effluent than ten people, it was impossible for the environment and the country’s infrastructure to handle the growth, which was equivalent to Britain’s population, John said. Story continues page 2...