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National | Environment

Native Affairs Summer Series – River Cop

Striking a balance between big business and a clean-green image is a fine line.  The Government only requires fresh waterways to be safe for wading and boating.

But, for one Te Uriroroi man, Millan Ruka, who strongly believes we can't afford to not take better care of our awa, that simply isn't good enough. Nor is the state of the thousands of kilometres of Northland's waterways he patrols. In fact, two-thirds of our nation's rivers are reportedly too dirty to swim in. Native Affairs reporter Adrian Stevanon went upstream with Ngāpuhi's "River Cop" to inspect what's fast becoming "green, unclean New Zealand".