Greens choose the wrong river

Stuff reports:

The Green Party had planned to demonstrate their opposition to the Government’s minimum river standards by wading into a Wairarapa river. …

The Greens chose the popular local swimming spot The Cliffs, halfway between Carterton and Masterton. The spot is highlighted by Greater Wellington Regional Council as one of the most polluted stretches in the region, achieving only a D grade on its water quality index. …

Federated Farmers Wairarapa provincial president Jamie Falloon said the campaign launch was an “absolute publicity stunt”. 

“All the recent statistics point to this being a publicity stunt. In the last 289 measurements taken down from the sewage facility, there has only been one that showed a dangerous level and it was after heavy rainfall,” he said.

GWRC statistics for the Ruamahanga River back up Falloon’s comments, with data showing only one instance in almost three years in which the river exceeded levels deemed unsafe for swimming.  

So it has been safe for swimming 999 days out of the last 1,000 days. A rather large fail for the Greens.