Greenpeace has used six tonnes of dairy sewage to blockade ACC\u2019s multi-storey building in the middle of Wellington.<\/p>\n
Just after 6.45am, six thousand litres of cow urine and other dairy waste, sealed in eight heavy-duty tanks, were placed across the two main entrances into ACC\u2019s offices on Molesworth Street in an escalating row over the government department\u2019s link to the controversial Ruataniwha irrigation scheme in Hawke\u2019s Bay.<\/p>\n
Critics of the scheme say that large-scale irrigation projects lead to industrial dairy expansion, which leads to increased river pollution.<\/p>\n
Three signs saying \u2018Save Our Rivers\u2019 are adorning the near-tonne containers, alongside warning signs signalling the contents.<\/p>\n
The tanks, known as IBCs, or intermediate bulk containers, are industrial containers specifically designed for transporting and storing large amounts of liquids.<\/p>\n
Big investors, including Ngai Tahu and Trustpower, have deserted the Ruataniwha scheme, leaving government departments, such as ACC, to plug the multi-million dollar funding gap if the project is to be completed.<\/p>\n
Last month, a report commissioned by Hawke\u2019s Bay Regional Council examining the economics of the irrigation plan revealed that costs have climbed significantly, and are set to soar to over $900 million.<\/p>\n
Genevieve Toop, Greenpeace\u2019s agriculture campaigner, said: \u201cACC looks set to throw away millions of dollars on the controversial Ruataniwha dam which will pollute our precious rivers.\u00a0 And that\u2019s just taking the piss.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019ve blockaded ACC\u2019s offices in Wellington today with six tonnes of dairy sewage, including cow piss, in large, sealed containers. Millions of tonnes of pollution ends up in our rivers via cow piss already. And this pollution will only get worse if government departments like ACC throw taxpayers\u2019 money at irrigation schemes like Ruataniwha that expand the industrial dairy sector.<\/p>\n
\u201cEcological farming is much better for our rivers, our land and our international reputation. It\u2019s this that the government should be backing, not some failed industrial agriculture model which is polluting our rivers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over 20,000 people have signed a Greenpeace petition calling on the government to stop funding industrial scale irrigation, like the plans at Ruataniwha and the Central Plains Water Scheme in Canterbury.<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, Greenpeace took out a full-page advert in The Press newspaper targeting Central Plains Water, and calling for the scheme to be dropped.<\/p>\n