Public Backlash to Russian Oligarch's Water Usage Highlights Importance of Sustainable Lawn Care

Locals are outraged after discovering a Russian oligarch is using 60,000 litres of water a day to keep his lawn fresh. Alexander Abramov owns a $50 million luxury lodge in Helena Bay, north of Whangarei, and says he needs to show off New Zealand’s ‘clean, green’ image to wealthy international visitors. The water is pulled from a stream near the resort.

Abramov has been granted consent to extract this much water, but the locals had no say in the matter. The consent was non-notified, meaning the Northland Regional Council granted it without consulting the public.

The stream is used by locals to collect watercress, and they are upset at the council’s failure to consult the public, and the increasing commercialisation of New Zealand’s fresh water. One local called the matter “frivolous” and another called it a “slap in the face” to Maori.

Despite Abramov’s argument that he only uses 3% of the stream’s daily minimum flow, and it has no history of drying out, the local Maori Greens are unhappy. MP Catherine Delahunty said, “Personally, I do not think a billionaire with a flash resort is more important than sustainability. Ever.”

According to Statistics NZ, more than half the water consented by councils is for irrigation. The National Government argues that no one owns the nation’s water, but this has led to businesses easily acquiring resource consents to draw water from local streams and rivers for bottling and irrigation.

Gareth Morgan, the founder of The Opportunities Party said New Zealand has taken a “first in, first served” approach to its fresh water. He added, “That’s fine until you run out of water and then we say ‘what do we do now?’”

Despite the public’s outrage, the lodge has boosted Northland’s tourism sector, with wealthy guests flying in by helicopter. Abramov’s spokesman Chris Seel said, “What is the purpose of water? It is to create life. We are growing grass, I do not think that is frivolous at all.”

Kiwis take pride in their homes and gardens, but it is clear that we need to make better decisions when it comes to lawn garden care. The key lies in finding a balance between garden maintenance and sustainability. Crewcut is a local lawn moving service that is committed to being as sustainable as possible. They use low emission equipment, program lawn rounds to minimise travel, and keep all paperwork electronic.

They also provide an environmentally friendly mulch, and dispose clippings as green waste at a recycling centre when available. They use natural products and take pride in supporting bird, animal and plant life in New Zealand, because they understand that we only have one planet and it needs to be respected.

With eco-conscious businesses like Crewcut around, there seems to be some hope for the future of New Zealand’s fresh water and ecosystem.

For more information, visit https://crewcut.co.nz/.