July 10, 2020
Horowhenua iwi left short in lake clean up rules
Horowhenua iwi are furious their rohe has been excluded from new limits on water pollution.
The Fresh Water action plan includes stronger targets on nitrogen toxicity in lakes and rivers.
But catchments in two of the country's best food-growing areas, Pukekohe and Horowhenua, are excluded.
Rachael Selby, who chairs Ngātokowaru Marae near Lake Horowhenua, says it's a slap in the face after decades of calling for the clean-up of what is one of the most polluted lakes in the country.
"We felt that the goal should be to be able to swim across the lake, that would be a test of our relationship with it and our confidence in its cleanliness but you wouldn't get in there at the moment and here we are 70 years later still asking for the damage that was done in the 20th century to be remediated," she says.
Ms Selby says the iwi is considering legal action, and it has also met Environment Minister David Parker to voice its concerns.
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