Silver Fern Farms has applied for a consent to discharge large volumes of water containing waste products into the Waimakariri River near SH1 bridge. Discharges would happen when SFF is unable to send the waste to the Bromley Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Recently, SFF had pipes for discharge to the river re-connected, which has enabled them to discharge waste products like effluent, fat, grease, faecal coliforms and blood into the river on a number of occasions. This can lead to odours, water discolouration, degradation and contamination, and fish mortality. SFF has now applied for a consent to continue this disgusting practice for at least another 5 years.

The company must be delusional. It says the maximum volume discharged will be 3500 cubic metres per day. If that doesn't sound like much, put it this context. 3500 cubic metres weighs 3500 tonnes and contains 3,500,000 litres of liquid. The big fuel tankers you see on our roads might contain 30,000 litres. The proposed discharge would fill 116 of them. Yes 116. Every day they discharge.

Put it in another context. If each litre contained one gramme of waste solids (like a teaspoon full) 3.5 million of them comes to 3.5 tonnes of solid waste. Every day they discharge.

The Waimakariri is a braided river and a national treasure. It is used by countless Cantabrians for leisure pursuits. We swim, jetboat, kayak, sail, fish and walk in and around the river. Our kids and grand-kids play in it. To think that a slaughterhouse might be permitted to foul it with waste containing Heaven-knows what from its activities is, at best, madness. Apart from the revulsion of what might actually be in the waste, and where it might end up, how discharge might affect a national reputation built on clean and green values doesn't bear thinking about.

Clearly this company doesn't give a fig for the greater good when its own operational deficiencies let it down.

I have started this petition because I believe most people would think this application is a daft idea and would want to express an opinion. I happen to enjoy fishing for trout and salmon. The attached photo gives an insight into what can happen to fishlife when water quality is degraded. It doesn't take much. The Waimak will be under similar threat if this lunatic application from SFF is permitted. Right now, the river needs our help to protect it and its inhabitants from corporate folly.

It beggars belief that anyone would think for a second that this application is a good idea. While it might make sense around the SFF boardroom table because it will save them some money, it makes not the slightest sense on the river bank and in the surrounding community. The application stinks, both literally and figuratively and it should be thrown out.

So please sign this petition. Please talk to your MP. Please write to the media. Please object to the application on e-can's website. Please help common sense to prevail. Please make a noise. Please help.

In short, please join in to Protect the Waimakariri from this corporate madness. Together we are powerful.

The idea is for real people to make it known to e-can how obnoxious the wider community considers this application to be. This petition will allow people's voices to be heard

Please sign it - it won't take two minutes of your time. Future generations will thank you for it.