Listen: David Parker on freshwater programme

Environment Minister David Parker. Photo / Mark Mitchell

David Parker says the Government's freshwater working programme is an attempt to ensure New Zealand's agricultural image thrives, rather than to outlaw farming.

"We're not going to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, but the colour of the egg has to be clean."

The Environment Minister spoke to The Country's Jamie Mackay about the programme, which was released in Parliament this morning.

"Overall what we're trying to do is get back to the clean rivers that we used to have a couple of decades ago."

Listen below:

A concerned farmer and listener to The Country, contacted Mackay to ask Parker if the programme is all stick and no carrot; as the Government will be introducing increased Resource Management Act powers and regulating some intensive farming practises.

"The carrot for farmers is their local river being clean enough for their kids to pop down to and put their head under without getting crook," says Parker.

"The other upside here is New Zealand attains a higher price than more people do for our products, because of our brand. Our brand as clean and green has to be real - if it's not, tourism suffers as does the price premium that New Zealand farmers get when they sell their produce to the world."

Also in today's interview: David Parker talks about irrigation and whether New Zealand needs to cut dairy cow numbers or change the way we winter them.