Vote clean drinking water!
We all care about freshwater – the health of our drinking water, local rivers and lakes. And right now, we have the power to make our voices heard – it’s time to vote for clean drinking water in the local elections.
Environment Canterbury candidates – freshwater scorecard
We’ve created this handy scorecard so you can see which candidates in the Environment Canterbury elections will be freshwater champions – and which won’t.
Join the campaign for clean water in the upcoming local elections
Canterbury is a hotspot for the freshwater crisis. Many people can’t drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap or go swimming in the local river without getting sick.
But the Government is removing freshwater protections to make it easier for intensive dairying to expand. And, there are plans to allow more than 16,000 dairy cows to be added to the Canterbury plains.
This means more dirty rivers and aquifers, and a higher risk of polluted drinking water.
In Canterbury, we’ll be calling on candidates for Environment Canterbury (ECan) to protect freshwater by committing to:
- Stop the expansion of dairy farms
- Establish a sinking cap on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser
In the upcoming local elections, your vote is critical. That’s why we need your help to ensure that regional councillors will protect access to clean safe drinking water.
How can I volunteer for the Vote Clean Drinking Water campaign?
We have a window of opportunity coming up to change the direction of water pollution in Canterbury. That’s because from 9 September to 11 October 2025, we can vote for people that we want to represent us on local councils.
Everybody can vote for clean drinking water! Help make clean drinking water a priority this election, by encouraging people in your networks to vote for freshwater.
We are looking for people to help with:
- Mobilising volunteers in your community
- Distributing flyers
- Putting up posters
- Running market stalls
- Attending ‘Meet the Candidates’ events and asking impactful questions
- Sharing your story – this could be letters to the editor of your local newspaper, or sharing a video on social media
If you would like to help us with distributing flyers, posters, stickers, or fence signs, send us an email at [email protected] (or via the button below) to let us know!
And of course, the most important thing you can do is VOTE! Not only that, but you can encourage your friends and whanau to vote too.
The more people who vote the better, because we have a higher chance of councillors around the table who will prioritise the health of fresh water, and the health of our communities. That’s important, because everybody, no matter where they live, deserves access to clean safe drinking water.
Will you join us in making clean drinking water a priority this election?
Join us – sign up to volunteer now!
Together, we’re building a rising wave of resistance to protect lakes, rivers, and drinking water across the Canterbury region. Will you join us?
By submitting this form you agree that Greenpeace Aotearoa can contact you about volunteer opportunities and campaign updates. Greenpeace believes you have a right to privacy on the web, and your data is safe with us and you can opt out at any time.
Vote clean drinking water FAQs
Find out more about our campaign for clean drinking water, and why these elections are so important.
Right now, we have the opportunity to make a difference to the quality of water in Canterbury. That's because from 9 September to 11 October we’ll have the chance to vote for the candidates standing to represent us on our local councils.
It is no secret that water in Canterbury is in a dire state. Two thirds of rivers and lakes are too polluted to swim in, while many Cantabrians can’t drink the water coming out their tap because it is contaminated with nitrate.
The Government is actively undermining the rules that protect lakes, rivers and drinking water - especially with Chris Bishop’s latest reforms opening the pollution floodgates - but we can fight back!
When our Government won’t ensure the safety of drinking water for New Zealanders, local and regional councils have to step up. That's because they have a responsibility to protect source water in their regions. Right now, many councils are failing - including Environment Canterbury, who are responsible for ensuring that communities in Canterbury have access to clean, safe drinking water.
Local body elections are important because they provide New Zealanders with an opportunity to hold decision makers to account. The 14 candidates who are elected across the 7 Canterbury constituencies are the people who will have the power to make decisions about water protection.
You have the opportunity to elect candidates who will protect rivers, lakes and drinking water in Canterbury. That's why we need everyone on board to vote for clean drinking water in these upcoming elections - and to spread the word so that your friends and whānau join in too!
We must work together to make clean drinking water a priority election issue and ensure that the councillors who are elected will take a strong stand for freshwater in Canterbury. And we need your help to make clean drinking water a priority.
Our local elections generally have lower visibility and low voting rates. Our democratic processes are important yet are at risk of being eroded. This is important in particular for younger people, who are statistically less likely to vote as they are more mobile and may not see the relevance to their own lives.
But they're important! The candidates elected to the regional councils will be the people making the decisions for the environment in our regions. Councils must put the health of water and communities first, above all other uses of water.
The more people who vote the better, because we have a higher chance of councillors around the table who will prioritise the health of fresh water, and the health of our communities. That's why we're looking for as many volunteers as possible to help get the word out and join us in taking action.
This election we are calling on Environment Canterbury candidates to pledge to:
1. Stop dairy expansion in Canterbury - because more cows means more pollution.
2. Implement a sinking cap on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser - because overuse of fertiliser is one of the major causes of drinking water pollution in Aotearoa.
You can find out more about nitrate contamination in drinking water here.
Greenpeace also provides a free mail-in water testing service for nitrate contamination. You can find out more and order a test for your household here.
Send an email to [email protected] and let us know whether you'd like to order posters or flyers, and how many you'd like! We'll get them to you as soon as we can.
NOTE: these are currently only available for people living in the Waitaha/Canterbury region
Events near you
Find events and activities that you can get involved in on our Community event page.
More on fresh water
Read more about our campaign for clean drinking water and what we're doing about it!
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“Will they protect freshwater?” – Greenpeace reveals Environment Canterbury candidate scorecard
Greenpeace has asked candidates standing for the Environment Canterbury regional council whether they'll protect fresh water. Here are their responses.
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Environment Canterbury freshwater scorecard – what do your candidates think?
Curious what Environment Canterbury’s regional council election candidates really think about freshwater protections? We’ve got you covered.
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Greenpeace to bring Canterbury’s contaminated water to ECan
Greenpeace is holding a rally outside Environment Canterbury on the council’s final sitting day before elections to call for clean drinking water now.