Green co-leader Russel Norman launched the final part of the party's Clean Rivers policy yesterday as part of the party's pledge to make all New Zealand rivers clean enough to swim in.
The Green Party's national environment standard for fencing of livestock and riparian strips would require fences be set back from waterways, leaving a buffer zone of vegetation.
Intensive agricultural operations would be required to permanently fence their waterways to a set standard with setbacks by July 1, 2007. Non-intensive farms with cattle would have the same deadline, but temporary fencing.
Farmers would be able to get carbon credits for CO2 sequestered by planting on their riparian strip and would receive an incentive to start with a $100 million fund over three years.
A charge on water used for irrigation would be introduced, he said.
''The charge will be determined with stakeholder consultation with all revenue ring-fenced for water clean-up initiatives.''
Last week, National said if it was re-elected, it would spend $100 million over 10 years to buy and retire selected areas of farmland next to important waterways to create an environmental buffer to help improve water quality.
Dairy cattle would be excluded from waterways from July 1, 2017. Other cattle would be excluded from waterways over time on intensively farmed lowland properties.
Dr Norman said fencing livestock out of rivers and planting river banks had numerous economic benefits for farming: less stock loss in wet areas, lower vet bills, reduced costs for digging drains, weed control in riparian areas and fertiliser costs, increased land values and better pasture quality.
''But fencing dairy cows out of streams is a token gesture if you stop at that as National has done. The key is ensuring fences are set back from streams to provide a buffer zone of vegetation.''
Previous Green Party announcements on smart farming for clean rivers include:
• Establish a protected rivers network.
• Implement new rules for water quality to ensure rivers were clean enough to swim in.
• Protect beaches from oil spills by prohibiting deep sea drilling and making coastal shipping safer.
• Invest $20 million a year for 10 years to help small towns and communities upgrade sewage treatment systems.
