notice or debate congratulating Forest and Bird on
the successful defence of the Ruahine forest and
park. The motion has
been described. Leave is taught to move
that motion. Is
Leave is taught to move that motion. Leave
My
My question is to the Associate
The
The annual report on drinking water quality for
The annual report on drinking water
approximately 45,000 people in that time received drinking water with
excessive measures of
ecoli transgressions. I would note that
that amounted to 503 cases of gastro
enter writis in 2015, 512
cases in 2016 of which a
small portion may have been attributable to
ecoli. Supplementary question. Does
the minister believe that a system in
which 45,000 people have poo in
their drinking water at
least once a year is good enough for
their drinking water at least once a
Obviously one aims for perfection but I would note that what
the report also shows is around
but I would note that what the
people in that time received people in that time received
drinking water that was
of acceptable quality
acceptable quality and while there acceptable quality and while there
will always be incidents,
there have been a number over a period of time,
the number of people who
are adversely affected is
very low. Clearly we need to work with local
Clearly we need to work with local
councils to reduce that even
further. Supplementary question. How
can New Zealanders be sure that
the water coming from their taps isn't
water coming from their taps isn't
going to make them sick when
the same number of people as
the going
same number of people as the population of Nelson have
faecal contamination in their drinking
contamination in their drinking
water at least once a
The
The reticulation of water supplies is, of course, a matter for local
is, of course, a matter for local
authorities. Where
authorities. Where central Government has a role is in
the enforcement of, if you like, overall
standards and one of the
ways we do that is through
the annual monitoring of drinking water
standards to which I
have referred in the primary answer and ongoing
discussions with
discussions with local Government about incidents that occur
that have an adverse affect on the
population. Supplementary question. How can he
Supplementary question. How can he
be confident that people living in
small rural communities and at marae
have the resources they need to make
sure the water coming from their tap
sure the water coming from their tap
s is safe to drink when his
Government cut funding for the
drinking water subsidy programme.
drinking water subsidy programme. During the life of that subsidy
programme a huge number of small
communities are seeking to upgrade
their water supply systems were
assisted. The number outstanding
is comparatively small. I have had
ongoing discussion with the
Minister of Local Government about ways in
which this might be
addressed in the future. Supplementary question.
which this might be addressed in the future. Supplementary question. How
is it a good look for PunaKaike, a
top tourist destination to have
contaminated drinking water
when tourists expect better from a clean,
green New Zealand, which is
supposed to be a
green New Zealand, which is supposed
good look for anywhere to have contaminated water supplies
for any period of time but I make the point
again that I made in response to an
contaminated
again that I made in response to an earlier supplementary, in
the specific case that the
member refers to the reticulation
of those water supplies is a matter for the local
supplies is a matter for the local
authority. Supplementary question.
authority. Supplementary question. To the Minister, would it surprise
authority.
To the Minister, would it surprise the minister that the New
Zealand public
public health surveillance report covering the first three months of
2017, otherwise known as summer,
reveals two ecoli outbreaks
reveals two ecoli outbreaks
involving four cases that were
all in Auckland and all in
private in Auckland and all in private
advice I had indicated that there were two such specific outbreaks
and were two such specific outbreaks
and there is not clear evidence as to
whether ecoli was involved in those
instances.
instances. Supplementary question. Does the minister think that it's
fair that 45,000 New Zealanders have
fair that 45,000 New Zealanders have
poo in their drinking water at least
once a year while
pristine Artesian poo
once a year while pristine Artesian water is taken from underneath their
water is taken from underneath their
feet, bottled and sold back to those
communities as happened
in Weimar are
communities as happened in Weimar
provision of clean water supplies for communities is an important
one. Ideally it would be coming
through the source of reticulation in the
the source of reticulation in the
first instance but in situations
where that is not able
to be achieved because of temporary
problems, then it is
desire ranl that people
problems, then it is desire ranl
people get their clean, fresh water from
people get their clean, fresh water where
people get their clean, fresh water from elsewhere. Question No.2.
My
My question is to the Minister of
received on the Crown's financial
The
The Government accounts out this morning for the 11 months to 31 May
show a surplus of
morning for the 11 months to 31 May
forecast. The good shape of the Government's books reflects a strong