Feedlots issue
Allan Wrigglesworth needs to do his homework before making accusations of "gross environmental degradation" (letters, September 23).|
He, and presumably Rachel Keedwell, assume that because cattle are being fed on terraces adjacent to a river, there must be an adverse environmental effect - presumably on water quality.|
Do they have scientific evidence to support such a claim?|
Are water test results showing an increase in bacteria, periphyton, sediment or nutrients that can be attributed to these "feedlots"? Horizons Regional Council reports have never documented such pollution.|
It is good farm management practice to take heavy cattle off fragile soils during the wet part of the year to avoid pugging and soil compaction, by holding them on dry areas for a short period, and feeding them hay or silage.|
This allows farmers to prevent degradation of at-risk soils in late winter, while being able to feed more cattle using saved pasture from the previous spring "flush" growth.|
The cattle are not standing in the riverbed as implied, but are fenced on terraces above the river. What farmer would risk losing a $1500 beast if the river rose 7 metres in a winter flood?|
Mr Wrigglesworth thinks fencing the "Queen's Chain" will solve water quality problems.|
Publicly available records show most of the middle and lower reaches of the Rangitikei River are bounded by private land, except for some sections of its south bank opposite Mangaweka and Hunterville.|
There is very little "Queen's Chain" to fence on the river - assuming that it is not fenced now.|
The whole exercise appears to be an election "beat-up" by Ms Keedwell, with the assistance of Greg Carlyon, to create a scare of cattle polluting water.|
Mr Carlyon had the ability, while group manager at Horizons, and architect of the One Plan, to write rules and/or prosecute owners of these "feedlots".|
There are no specific rules in the final One Plan, nor has anyone been prosecuted, because no adverse effects have been identified from these areas.|
If Mr Wrigglesworth wishes to become a valued Horizons councillor, he needs to exercise better judgment to separate scientific fact from unsupported populist perception.
HARRY MATTHEWS|
President, Wanganui Federated Farmers
Council's agenda
Denise Lockett is incorrect (letters, September 27). Council is not required to put all issues raised by citizens on to the council agenda.|
Items on the agenda must meet a high level of need, fact, immediate relevance and domain, or we'd not have time to focus on critical local body issues. But the mayor controls the agenda and can shove items on it without consulting councillors (with resulting mutiny), and it seems make unilateral decisions such as not to consider fluoridation - that item certainly never came to council despite a request.|
There are many such instances. None of this has ever been about the left or right, and as you clearly stated at the very beginning of your protests, your cause is not politically aligned - neither is mine but a desire for appropriate governance.