Brendon Burns

New Zealanders deserve to know why their Government did not support a UN resolution which affirms the rights of an estimated billion people whose supplies currently are not safe to drink, says Labour water spokesperson Brendon Burns.

New Zealand was among 41 nations which abstained on the resolution put overnight at the UN General Assembly, with the votes of 124 countries seeing it passed.

“The resolution was non-binding in affirming that it is a human right to have safe drinking water and sanitation,” Brendon Burns said.

“It’s worth noting that while the UN is debating the rights of people around the planet to fresh water, 1 in 6 New Zealanders continue to drink water that is not safe or not tested.

“The National Government has put a three year moratorium on meeting the World Health Organisation’s minimum guidelines for safe drinking water. It has also frozen now for 11 months the funding Labour put in place to assist small communities to meet WHO recommendations.”

Brendon Burns says the UN resolution is sponsored by Bolivia, where the Government came to power after street riots threw out the previous administration, which was trying to privatise the nation’s water supplies.

“The National/ACT Government is currently trying to ram through a bill which would allow councils to privatise water supplies for 35 years.

“This has led to public warnings from health authorities that the government’s policies could cause major outbreaks of water-borne illness,” said Brendon Burns.

“These are some of the issues that the UN resolution attempts to address by upholding the right of everyone to have safe drinking water and sanitation. Labour believes that should include New Zealanders.”

Labour broadcasting spokesperson Brendon Burns has tabled a petition in Parliament this week recording the support of more than 2500 people for Radio New Zealand as the Government directs it to “reconfigure” services.

Brendon Burns said today he started an e-petition after Broadcasting Minister Jonathan Coleman instructed the Radio New Zealand board to change its mindset and start considering options such as turning National Radio off between midnight and 6am, ending FM coverage in some areas and finding sponsorship for Concert FM.

“An e-petition is a valid expression of opinion but it cannot be tabled in Parliament,” Brendon Burns said. “That’s why the Parliamentary petition I tabled yesterday actually comes from former RNZ board member Alison Timms and requests the House to note that 2640 people have signed the e-petition.

“The petitions affirm that Radio New Zealand is a national institution adding daily to the lives of New Zealanders and to the fabric of our society. We say that Radio NZ deserves Government’s support and encouragement, not an ongoing freeze and directives which can only mean reductions in output and quality.”

Brendon Burns said Jonathan Coleman should take note of his own Radio New Zealand Amendment Bill, which he introduced a year ago and which was due to come into force on 1 January this year, but which continues to languish on the Parliamentary order paper.

“Perhaps that’s because the Minister’s own bill pledges to retain Radio New Zealand without advertising or sponsorship, but within months of its introduction, Dr Coleman was telling the board to think about sponsorship.

“This is the same Minister who promised a year ago to ‘release a new Broadcasting Work Programme shortly, the content of which is consistent with our manifesto commitments’,” Brendon Burns said.

“No such Broadcasting Work Programme has ever been released, showing the Minister’s ability to deliver is about as convincing as his support for Radio New Zealand.”

Imposing a moratorium on the Hurunui River until the next election is an inevitable response to growing public concerns about decreasing water quality in Canterbury, says Labour’s water spokesman Brendon Burns.

“Given that Environment Minister Nick Smith replaced elected ECan councillors with commissioners, he had little choice but to agree to their recommendations for a Hurunui moratorium until October next year,” Brendon Burns said.

“Dr Smith knows he has alienated thousands of Cantabrians by giving wide powers to his appointed commissioners, though he retains the ultimate authority to ignore them or replace them.

“People in Canterbury are concerned about increasing contamination of waterways from industrial agriculture. Water quality in the lower Hurunui is already so degraded as to be unsafe; the Commissioners had to act and Dr Smith had to support them, but we are a long way off being home and dry on this issue.”

Brendon Burns says Hurunui Water Project wanted to dam the south branch of the Hurunui River to irrigate 42,000 hectares. “Commissioners are charged with assessing this quadrupling of irrigation off the Hurunui at the same time as deciding whether to amend or extend the Water Conservation Order on the Hurunui River.

“Dr Smith is playing for time with the Hurunui moratorium which runs, conveniently, until around the time of next year’s election. Meantime, the Government is pressing ahead with its agenda which has the Prime Minister on record saying he wants water from new schemes flowing in Canterbury next year.

“If Dr Smith is serious about improving environmental outcomes he now needs to impose moratoria not just on depleted aquifers but on many other Canterbury rivers and streams until tough new environmental rules are in place.

“That, of course, would totally disrupt the Prime Minister’s growth agenda and projects such as Synlait’s expansion now it is being taken over.

“So a temporary reprieve for the Hurunui is not going to be followed by the wider response that is now needed across Canterbury,” Brendon Burns said.

Labour Water spokesperson Brendon Burns says there is now a real worry that Canterbury corporate dairy farmer Synlait will significantly expand production before effective new environmental controls are put in place to protect endangered water quality in the region.

Synlait announced today that Bright Dairy, a large Chinese dairy company, will take a majority stake in the company, and, subject to regulatory and shareholder approval, will become joint owners of Synlait Milk. Bright Dairy will invest $82 million for expansion.

“Obviously investment that creates new jobs and wealth for the province is welcome, but the other crucial side of the coin is providing effective protection for Canterbury’s waterways.

“As figures released today again confirm, Canterbury’s water quality is such that it is no longer safe to swim in most of our streams and some of our rivers.

“The danger is that Synlait’s plans to have its milk powder output doubled by 2011/12 lines up with the Government’s announced agenda to see new water allocations flowing in Canterbury next year, long before any tough new environmental controls can be put in place.”
 
Brendon Burns said the community’s fears had become heightened by the Government’s decision to axe Environment Canterbury’s elected councillors who were among those concerned at the deteriorating water quality, most particularly in the area where Synlait’s milk plant is centred.

“Dunsandel township, just up the road from the existing plant, has had e-coli in its water supply for the past year. Now Synlait wants to double production and later double it again. Little wonder it has invested in the Central Plains Water project, which, despite occasional attempts to mask its purpose, is designed to create more water for dairying.

“The issue is not about foreign investment. It is about investors getting the benefit of water provided for next to nothing and facing little by way of penalties when the effluent or nitrates from their dairy farms enter our waterways.

13 July 2010 

Christchurch Central MP Brendon Burns has visited the scene of today’s double shooting of police officers and the killing of a police dog in the inner Christchurch suburb of Phillipstown.

The MP says such acts of violence, especially involving firearms, are a worrying trend and the police are too often on the receiving end.

 “These two officers were going about ordinary duties when they were shot. Other weapons were also found at the Buccleugh St address.

“Only yesterday, I visited a dairy only a few hundred metres from the shooting which was the subject of an abortive hold-up attempt last week.”

“Buccleugh St residents are naturally shaken that something like this has happened in their street. Their lives continue to be disrupted as police remain at the scene doing forensic examinations.”

Brendon Burns has sent a message of support to the two wounded officers and the Christchurch police team via police area commander, Dave Cliff.

“Our community deserves to let the police know at times like these just how much we value the work they do and the risks they confront on our behalf.”