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Up goes the spire A giant Lego game was played out in the sky over Ashburton yesterday as cranes and crews carefully manoeuvred into place a three-piece spire that now sits atop the new Church of the Latter Day Saints.
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
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Mid Canty gastro levels shocking BY MICHELLE NELSON
farming, is like the canary in the mine; once you’ve got nitrates in water viruses and bacMid Canterbury’s already shocking rates of teria follow.” Nitrates are a chemical which come in gastro-type diseases will soar even further if agricultural intensification continues, Can- part from nitrogen fertilisers but also from terbury District Health Board medical officer cow urine, which seeps slowly through into ground water and builds up over time. of health Alistair Humphrey warns. ECan tests on Canterbury bore water show Environment Canterbury has identified several nitrogen hotspots in the district, nitrate contamination rates are rising. “They have not been turned around in anywhich correlate with the high incidence of gut infections, such as campylobacter, way by any policy or activity by farmers or anyone else. cryptosporidium and giardia. “What that means is our water is being poiA hotspot in the Hinds region soned, slowly but surely.” has been identified as having the Mr Humphrey said solving the highest rate of campylobacter in problem would take social, politithe world. It has been on Envical and environmental intervenronment Canterbury’s radar since tion, and the answer would not be 2004. Four years ago the nitrate found while farming practices conload in groundwater was higher tinued to intensify. than the World Health OrganisaHe wants the Government to tion’s recommendations for drinkrethink funding water storage proing water, according to ECan data. jects to enable more irrigation. ECan has acknowledged Mid “Irrigation schemes directly reCanterbury’s comparatively high sult in intensification – we may rate of gastro infections, but Mr think we can intensify safely, but at Humphrey said exact numbers Alistair the moment we are not.” were difficult to track due to lack Humphrey And the current decline in milk of reporting. Many people did not prices could exacerbate the probsee a doctor for short bouts of gaslem. “When farmers are under pressure entro illness. While the problem has been linked with vironmental concerns drop to the bottom of drinking water abstracted from shallow the list – when milk prices fall the environbores, Mr Humphrey said it was not the only ment suffers, in particular when farmers are source of contamination, Mr Humphrey said pushed into an intensified environment.” Under the auspices of the Resource Manmany gastro infections were transmitted diagement Act ECan accepted the Variation II rectly from animals to humans. “There are occasions where drinking wa- change to the Hinds Plain plan, in line with ter is a source, but in other cases it is spread the Canterbury Land & Water Management through direct contact with animals,” he said. Strategy. Currently subject to appeal, the “However, the increasing rates of nitrates plan will eventually limit nitrate leaching and in water, which is coming from intensified make further intensification difficult. MICHELLE.N@THEGUARDIAN.CO.NZ
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