Rod is concerned about the significant and ongoing degradation of Canterbury’s waterways and is well qualified for that – possessing a unique set of business and environmental skills.
He is a qualified Lawyer and Accountant, with wide experience as a senior executive in business. As General Manager of North Canterbury Fish & Game he has a unique understanding of, and passion for, our environment.
With the dramatic deterioration of our waterways and habitat he believes land use intensification has come at too high a price and is concerned the requirement to maintain the quality of our lakes, rivers and streams is not given the priority it deserves.
The severely reduced flows of water in our rivers and streams are not just the result of lack of rainfall – irrigation has been over allocated. The freshwater resource is diminishing and in some areas running out. Pollution in sensitive freshwater areas is allowed to continue with little or no enforcement.
He will demand that compliance monitoring is given greater priority, and that future decisions made by Ecan will better take all ecological and recreational interests into account, and that those resources will be allocated in a sustainable and inter-generational manner.
Rod also believes our waterways must be swimmable not wadeable, that water is a finite resource and must be sustainably managed.
