David Parker says he'll have failed if rivers not healthier when he leaves politics

Minister for the Environment David Parker says he will personally feel he has failed if the country's fresh water is not in a better state when he leaves politics than when he entered.

The comments were made on Friday during a keynote address to the New Zealand Planning Institute's annual conference, titled Weaving the Strands, held in Napier.

"By the time I finish politics, if I haven't helped get this problem under control, I'll personally feel that I've failed, so I am pretty determined to give it a push." Read more