Water pollution looms as major issue in New Zealand

"Tests have confirmed campylobacter had contaminated the Havelock North water supply bore, affecting 4100 people in the area" - news item, August 19, 2016.

An outbreak of this water-borne contaminant - possibly sourced from farm animals - has made water in a New Zealand town unfit for human consumption. Investigations are continuing.

The problem has surfaced in an area where a contentious irrigation scheme is being planned by the authorities. If the dam on the Tukituki river goes ahead, it will open the way for intensive dairy farming in the area, with massive pollution problems.See
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1604/S00432/ruataniwha-dam-should-be-dumped.htm

Fortunately, a NZ conservation group has won a recent court case which may put a spanner in the works of the dam's backers. However, the NZ government is still keen for the scheme to proceed and is throwing taxpayer subsidies at it.

So despite the tourism advertising, New Zealand is not "clean and green". Visiting flyfishers should regard the water in our lakes and streams as hazardous to health until proven otherwise. .