Looming Government fertiliser cap decision could worsen NZ’s nitrate contamination crisis

Greenpeace is warning that a looming Government decision on limits to synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use could result in more of Canterbury’s water becoming contaminated with unsafe levels of nitrate.

The Government will announce decisions on changes to the National Environmental Standards for Freshwater within the next couple of months. These include whether to maintain the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, which limits its use to 190 kg per hectare.

Greenpeace says that the cap must be kept in place, or the Government risks worsening drinking water quality in rural New Zealand – especially Canterbury.

“New Zealand is experiencing a nitrate pollution crisis, driven in part by the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser on dairy farms” says Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe.

“The overuse of fertiliser allows the dairy industry to grow more grass to feed the oversized dairy herd, which means they can cram more cows onto the land. More cow urine and more fertiliser means more nitrate ending up in groundwater, putting rural communities at an increased risk of bowel cancer and preterm birth.

“The fertiliser cap is one of the only freshwater protections we have in Aotearoa that limits pollution at the source. It doesn’t go far enough, but by limiting the amount of fertiliser used on farms, New Zealand took the first step towards addressing nitrate contamination.

“Instead of protecting the health of rural communities who are most exposed to nitrate contamination and strengthening the nitrate limits, the Government is looking to make that contamination worse,” says Appelbe.

“Access to safe drinking water isn’t a political talking point. Up to 20% of New Zealanders are exposed to harmful levels of nitrate in their drinking water. This puts them at increased risk of bowel cancer and in some cases, preterm birth or blue baby syndrome.”

That includes towns in Canterbury like Oxford and Darfield, where town water supplies have reached levels of nitrate associated with an increased risk of preterm birth for pregnant people.

Appelbe says, “The Government must keep the fertiliser cap in place, or risk putting even more families’ health at risk. Chris Bishop needs to choose – will his legacy be clean water, or cancer water?”