Science Media Centre

The Science Media Centre put questions on key science-related issues to the political parties ahead of the General Election scheduled to be held on September 23. This is the fourth time the SMC has canvassed political parties on their science-related policies; you can access previous election Q&As on our website – 2008, 2011, 2014. Click […]

After a week of floods and heavy rainfall, fresh water is still in the headlines. Radio New Zealand is diving into the muddy waters in a series called ‘Water Fools?’, teasing apart how farming affects our waterways and how the views of the public, farmers and the government often differ. The unmonitored ‘spray and pray’ […]

2015 has got off to a very dry start and increasingly drought-like conditions could have a substantial impact on farmers in the coming weeks. Soil moisture measurements in both the North and South Islands are lower than average for this time of year, with irrigation restrictions already in place in parts of Canterbury and North […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted resource consent to a proposed irrigation dam that will be the largest built in New Zealand for over 20 years. The Ruataniwha Water Storage Scheme, led by the Hawkes Bay Regional Council, proposes construction of a major irrigation dam in the Tukituki River catchment. Extensive modelling and environmental impact […]

ONLINE MEDIA BRIEFING – FRI 22 MAR The ‘big dry’ continues, with the entire North Island officially declared a drought zone and ongoing water restrictions in many regions. How bad is this drought, and how long is it likely to last? What are the ongoing impacts on soil moisture and river flows, and how much […]