‘Only A Matter Of Time' Before A Baby Is Harmed Due To Nitrate Contamination, Warns Greenpeace
This is the second town to make headlines by exceeding nitrate levels in the town water supply in the last year, with Canterbury's Glenavy township exceeding the MAV (maximum allowable value) in December last year. The MAV was set in the 1960s to prevent methemoglobinemia, or Blue Baby Syndrome, which can be fatal.
Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says "It's only a matter of time before we see a baby harmed in New Zealand due to consuming formula mixed with nitrate contaminated water. It is absolutely unacceptable that rural communities are unable to drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap - and this is happening more and more frequently."
"The main source of this contamination is the intensive dairy industry - in particular, the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser. To avoid the risk to life that is posed by nitrate contamination, we need to stop the pollution at the source, and that means implementing a sinking cap on the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
"However, the Luxon Government is doing the opposite. Rather than changing our laws to protect freshwater, Chris Bishop is implementing a freshwater pollution plan. He is weakening the national direction on freshwater, and removing the cap on synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use.
"We know that the use of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is causing nitrate contamination, and already towns in rural areas like Canterbury and Southland are facing the consequences of this, with undrinkable water. Removing limits on fertiliser use will worsen the drinking water crisis - and it's only a matter of time before it proves to be dangerous."
There are several health risks associated with nitrate levels much lower than the current maximum allowable value of 11.3 mg/L. Long term exposure to nitrate contaminated water above 1 mg/L has been linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer. At levels above 5 mg/L, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends that pregnant people consider finding another source of water, due to an increased risk of preterm birth.
Gore's water supply tested at 11.4 mg/L of nitrate on Friday. Nitrate cannot be removed by boiling drinking water, so those with high levels of nitrate must find an alternative water source or invest in costly reverse osmosis filters.
Greenpeace says that the best way to reduce harm done by nitrate pollution in the long-term is to regulate the source of the pollution.
"We're calling on this Government to make decisions that will protect rural communities' access to safe drinking water, and prevent the health impacts that are known to arise from nitrate contamination," says Appelbe.
"New Zealanders overwhelmingly want clean water in lakes, rivers, and their kitchen taps - it's time for Luxon to deliver."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
a day ago
- NZ Herald
Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health
Their tireless advocacy, amplified by journalist Rachel Smalley's sharp campaigning and the lived experiences of thousands of New Zealanders, has helped shift this conversation from the margins to the mainstream. The public mood is shifting. Pharmac, once internationally respected for its fiscal restraint, now faces growing pressure to demonstrate its relevance in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. How Pharmac can transform into a health enabler: Cecilia Robinson writes that it's about reimagining what Pharmac is here to do. Photo / Getty Images The question is no longer whether Pharmac is doing the best it can with what it has, but whether its model is still fit for purpose. As someone who moved from Sweden, where access to modern treatments is standard, I was horrified to discover that many New Zealanders must turn to Givealittle to fund medicines available freely elsewhere. It's not just unfair. It's unthinkable. Therefore, the appointment of Natalie McMurtry as Pharmac's new chief executive comes at a critical time. While her background in Alberta's health system brings relevant experience, the task ahead is not just about leadership, it's about reimagining what Pharmac is here to do. Pharmac must shift from being a gatekeeper of cost to an enabler of health impact. Its role can no longer be confined to doing more with less. The public expects more transparency, compassion and to access medicines freely available in countries such as Australia, Ireland and Singapore. Pharmac's original model was developed in a different era, when the core challenge was controlling pharma companies, who were gaming the system, and skyrocketing costs. These issues are still important, but cost-effectiveness, particularly as measured through QALYs (Quality-Adjusted Life Years), is now too narrow a lens. It doesn't account for broader system benefits: medicines that prevent hospitalisation, help people stay in work, reduce caregiving pressure or support mental wellbeing. New Zealand's medicine gap persists despite a $604 million investment, with patient advocates urging change. Photo / 123rf We need to move towards a broader, health-impact framework. Medicines should not be viewed in isolation as a standalone budget line but as levers that can help to reduce pressure across the entire system. They reduce demand on emergency departments, improve quality of life and help address chronic conditions before they escalate. This evolution in thinking requires stronger alignment between Pharmac and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora. As integrated care becomes the national direction, the way we fund medicines must reflect how those medicines contribute to overall system efficiency and patient outcomes. Pharmac's current structure, operating within a ring-fenced budget, has created artificial constraints that limit innovation. While it has helped secure competitive prices, it has also locked us into a rigid, risk-averse model that can't keep pace with the demands of modern medicine. To stay relevant, Pharmac must adopt smarter, more flexible funding approaches. This includes: ● Outcomes-based pricing: linking funding to real-world results, so high-cost drugs are only paid for if they work ● 'Access equity' funding: targeted budgets for treatments that don't fit traditional metrics, such as rare disease therapies ● Public-private co-investment: partnerships to enable earlier access to emerging or breakthrough treatments These models are already in use globally. New Zealand, with its small scale and centralised health system, is well placed to adopt and lead in this space but doing so will require political will and cross-agency collaboration. One of the strongest criticisms of Pharmac is that its decision-making too often overlooks the most marginalised. Equity must not be treated as a footnote, it must be central to how decisions are made. Pharmac must evolve to meet New Zealand's healthcare needs, advocates say. Photo / Getty Images That means asking tough but necessary questions: are Māori and Pacific patients missing out? Are people in rural communities being reached? Are high-cost treatments for small groups, such as children with rare conditions, being given a fair assessment? True equity means seeing value not only in volume, but in fairness. We must move away from one-size-fits-all measures of utility and toward a model that recognises the value of treating the under-served, the isolated and the overlooked. Pharmac has made efforts to improve its equity lens, but these steps need to be embedded and expanded. This includes involving communities earlier in decision-making, co-designing criteria for assessment and setting explicit targets to reduce access gaps. If there is one thing Pharmac must urgently regain, it is public trust. Right now, too many New Zealanders feel shut out of its processes, confused by its rationale and left behind by its pace. Trust won't be rebuilt through a communications campaign. The Pharmac chair, Paula Bennett, is pushing through some important reforms which require a fundamental shift in how Pharmac relates to the people it serves. That means: ● Transparent processes that clearly explain what's funded and why ● Better engagement with patients, clinicians, researchers, and advocacy groups ● A willingness to admit when the system isn't working and to try new things The leadership of new CEO McMurtry offers an opportunity to reset that relationship. Her described strengths, quiet achievement, systems thinking, and clinical experience, will need to be paired with openness, boldness, and humility. It's encouraging to see the appointment of Dr Dale Bramley as CEO of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora. Bramley brings deep experience as a public health physician and former chief executive of the Waitematā District Health Board, along with a strong understanding of the health system from both clinical and leadership perspectives. Dr Dale Bramley has been appointed CEO of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, bringing extensive public health and leadership experience to the role. Photo / Dean Purcell His appointment provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen alignment between Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and Pharmac. As the country moves towards integrated care as the national model, our approach to funding medicines must also evolve, recognising the role modern medicines play in improving patient outcomes and driving overall system efficiency. Pharmac's future must align with where the health system is heading: more integrated, more proactive, more preventive. Medicines that enable self-management, support digital care, or reduce reliance on acute services are now core to how we deliver better outcomes. Health systems globally are shifting from volume to value. New Zealand must do the same. That requires moving beyond simple funding silos and embracing joined-up thinking, where medicine access is seen as a strategic investment, not just a cost centre. Pharmac has a unique role to play in this shift. But to fulfil it, the agency must move from cautious gate keeping to confident leadership. It must be willing to challenge legacy assumptions and champion bold ideas that better serve the public good. The real test is whether it can lead to a smarter, fairer, more compassionate approach to medicine access – one that reflects the realities of modern New Zealand, embraces equity, and evolves as science and society change. The opportunity is real. With the right leadership, the right frameworks and the courage to think differently, Pharmac can become not just a funding body but a force for health transformation. But that will take more than good intentions. It will require bold decisions, structural reform and a clear commitment to doing things differently. Tinkering at the edges won't cut it. The time for real change is now. Ultimately, Pharmac's legacy won't be defined by how tightly it managed its budget. It will be judged by how well it met the health needs of its people.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Drinking water still a risk: Greenpeace
Greenpeace says Gore is not out of the woods yet in regards to nitrate in the water, but the council says levels are going down all the time and are of acceptable standard. Greenpeace said in a statement it had tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth. The sample was collected on Wednesday and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation's standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science. While the township's do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there was still a risk to public health. Gore issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3mg/l for nitrate. It recorded 11.4mg/l. Greenpeace said the limit was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it did not take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. "We know the source of this pollution. It's the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers." Gore District Council critical services general manager Jason Domigan said the Water Services Act required all councils to provide water that was safe by meeting current drinking water standards. That set the MAV of nitrate at 11.3mg/l. This is in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, an international standard, and has, in recent years, been through various levels of scrutiny through parliament and the national drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai. He said since the sample on Friday, July 18 of 11.4mg/l, the council had seen a continuous decline in the nitrate concentrations at the East Gore Water Treatment Plant. Accredited laboratory results showed these were at 5.88mg/l at noon on Thursday. "The council will continue to monitor through additional sampling over the coming weeks as we calibrate new nitrate probes installed at Coopers Well and the East Gore Water Treatment Plant." — APL
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Drinking water still a risk:Greenpeace
Greenpeace says Gore is not out of the woods yet in regards to nitrate in the water, but the council says levels are going down all the time and are of acceptable standard. Greenpeace said in a statement it had tested a sample collected from the Gore town supply, which returned a result above 5mg/L nitrate (NO3-N), a level associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Above this level of nitrate, the New Zealand College of Midwives recommends pregnant people consider finding another source of water because of the increased risk of preterm birth. The sample was collected on Wednesday and tested with an optical spectrometer, which is standard equipment for testing nitrate in the field, and followed the organisation's standard testing procedures which have been externally reviewed by GNS science. While the township's do-not-drink notice has been lifted, Greenpeace freshwater campaigner Will Appelbe says there was still a risk to public health. Gore issued a do-not-drink notice last Friday after the town supply exceeded the maximum allowable value (MAV) of 11.3mg/l for nitrate. It recorded 11.4mg/l. Greenpeace said the limit was set in the 1950s to avoid blue baby syndrome, but it did not take into account the more recent health science that has linked several health risks with long-term exposure to nitrate at levels below the current legal limits, including bowel cancer and preterm birth. "We know the source of this pollution. It's the overuse of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser in intensive dairy farming, led by Fonterra and their lobbyists at Federated Farmers." Gore District Council critical services general manager Jason Domigan said the Water Services Act required all councils to provide water that was safe by meeting current drinking water standards. That set the MAV of nitrate at 11.3mg/l. This is in line with World Health Organisation guidelines, an international standard, and has, in recent years, been through various levels of scrutiny through parliament and the national drinking water regulator Taumata Arowai. He said since the sample on Friday, July 18 of 11.4mg/l, the council had seen a continuous decline in the nitrate concentrations at the East Gore Water Treatment Plant. Accredited laboratory results showed these were at 5.88mg/l at noon on Thursday. "The council will continue to monitor through additional sampling over the coming weeks as we calibrate new nitrate probes installed at Coopers Well and the East Gore Water Treatment Plant." — APL
