% 830 words

% Dairy farming has recently expanded in the Waiwhetu region, providing
% a boost to the local economy. To cope with the increased milk
% production, a dairy company is proposing to set up a new factory. The
% factory will be located close to the Waiwhetu River, the region’s main
% waterway. To operate the new factory, the proponents want to take
% water from the river and discharge wastewater from the plant back into
% the waterway.


NZ water problems \parencite{cullen}:

- agricultural irrigation increased by 55\% per decade
- water quality:
  - non-point sources (e.g. nutrient run-off)
  - access to waterways by cattle
  - urban develpment
  - forestry

- water management through regional councils:
  - regional policy statements + regional plans
  - unless authorised by plan discharges require resource consents
  
impact of agriculture on water:

- primary source of non-point discharges
  - application of fertiliser and pesticides
  - discharges from the soil and animals
  - materials move into surface and groundwater at higher rates than usual
- discharge from animals increases E. coli concentrations
- 


monitoring / significance implications:
- lack of reliable data against which to draw conclusions for key parameters in all regions
- lack of approved plans relating to water in some regions
  - require councils to set realistic goals and objectives; difficult
    because has to reconcile urban recreational and environmental
    requirements with rural economic demands
  - too little policy direction from central government
- even without these plans, councils must process resource consent applications
- lack of monitoring and enforcement
  - low compliance
  - impossible to determine the efficacy of management practices
- limited knowledge on how to best deal with non-point source discharges
- little knowledge about what the community wants and expects wrt water management








- water allocation
  - 10,000 cubic metres
- wastewater discharge
  - 10,000 cubic metres
  - 2 degrees warmer
    - effect on invertebrates
- cumulative effects
  - other dairy factory
  - farm runoffs pollute the river according to locals

- social impacts
  - more jobs 

% 
% There is already a dairy factory in the area producing milk products.
% The factory has existing discharge permits which are not up for review
% for another 10 years. At present, it uses 10,000 cubic metres of water
% from the river and discharges the same amount into the waterway. The
% wastewater is two degrees celsius warmer than the temperature of the
% river.
% 
% Many prominent people are welcoming the growth of dairying in the
% region and believe the new factory will bring more jobs to the area.
% However, others are concerned about the potential environmental
% impacts of the development. Environment groups and iwi argue water
% quality is already being affected by waste generated from local farms
% and want to see the river cleaned up.
% 
% Note: Waiwhetu is a fictitious region