Water Quality
Environmentalists condemn new water quality standards
Forest & Bird says the new standards for New Zealand waterways allow for a five-fold increase in the chance of getting sick from swimming in rivers. Audio
Government's freshwater plans due today
Freshwater campaigners fear a government announcement on the country's waterways due today will not help their cause.
Fighting for NZ's Rivers and Lakes
Philippa Tolley checks out if enough is being done to clean-up the country’s lakes and rivers. Video, Audio
Fears not enough being done to halt decline in water quality
City rivers, as well as rural-based waterways, often suffer from contamination, so is enough being done in the fight to improve water quality. Philippa Tolley talks to those on the frontlines. Audio
Aucklanders could soon check water quality for swimming
Auckland Council is considering moving to providing water quality forecasts, to predict whether it's safe to swim before you hit the beach. Audio
Lake Taupō closed after another sewage spill
Swimming is banned in part of Lake Taupō after the second wastewater spillage in three days.
Braided rivers eaten away by agriculture
A report by Environment Canterbury has revealed 12 thousand hecatres of land on the edges of Canterbury's rare braided rivers has been converted for intensive farming - much of it public reserve land… Audio
Water contamination response fell short - report
The decision not to declare a state of emergency in Havelock North last year aggravated the situation, says the author of an independent report.
Signs of improvement across Canterbury rivers
Some popular Canterbury swimming spots cleaner than a year ago, but it's a long drive to find somewhere safe to swim.
EPA chief scientist under fire over water quality comments
The newly appointed chief scientist at the Environmental Protection Authority is under fire for claiming the Waikato river is one of the five cleanest rivers in the world. Kathryn Ryan speaks to Dr… Audio
Havelock North water contamination inquiry under way
The government inquiry into the Havelock North drinking-water contamination has held its first hearing at the Hastings District Court. Video
Call to widen Havelock North probe into water quality
Outbreaks of waterborne illness will become more common if no effort is made to protect environmental sustainability, a public health professor has warned. Audio
Lake snow, 'the new didymo'
Nine to Noon examines the growing threat of Lake snow, the didymo like algal slime invading NZ's most iconic lakes.
Dr Don Robertson is the Chair of the Guardians of Lake Wanaka & a member of the… Audio, Gallery
Lack of effluent monitoring threatens health - Fish and Game
The government is failing to manage the risk of farming to human health because there is no tool to manage effluent run-off from farms, Fish and Game says.
Canterbury farmers blamed for poor water quality
Canterbury farmers are being blamed for the region's deteriorating rivers and poor water quality. Audio
A Stream Runs Through it
The Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment or CAREX is co-led by Professors Angus McIntosh and Jon Harding from the University of Canterbury's Freshwater Ecology Research Group. CAREX has… Audio, Gallery
A Stream Runs Through it
The Canterbury Waterway Rehabilitation Experiment or CAREX is co-led by Professors Angus McIntosh and Jon Harding from the University of Canterbury's Freshwater Ecology Research Group. CAREX has…
AudioEastland Groups CEO speaks to Wairoa council
Gates owner Eastland Group declined to be interviewed by Checkpoint and released a statement. Audio
Water petition with 12k signatures delivered to Parliament
Thirty people walked from Turangi to Parliament to present a petition calling to improve the quality of New Zealand's waterways. Video, Audio
Broken sluice gates muddy Hawke's Bay rivers
Wairoa District Council ratepayers are tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket due to broken sluice gates, which have caused silt to flow from the Waihi Dam into local rivers. Video, Audio
