♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ yaara bou melhem: new zealand, aotearoa, is blessed with fresh water, with its turquoiseped mountains. its pristine and dramatic landscapes are the sets

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ yaara bou melhem: new zealand, aotearoa, is blessed with fresh water, with its turquoised snow-capped mountains. its pristine and dramatic landscapes are the sets of hollywood blockbusters, and its natural beauty a major tourism draw card. but behind its clean green image is a shocking reality. up to 99% of rivers running through urban, farming, and non-native forested areas are polluted. lan pham: we're told that, oh, you know, rivers are dangerous, that you could get sick from rivers, they could harm your kids and your pets. yaara: the ardern government has promised to clean up. jacinda ardern: i want our waterways to be swimmable again, so we're putting in place standards that actually stop the degradation. yaara: but is facing pushback from one of the country's biggest polluters: dairy. john sunckell: do we want agriculture, do we want production, or do we want to get rid of agriculture? yaara: now the country's wealthiest maori tribe is launching an unprecedented claim over the south island's fresh water. dr. te maire tau: there's been a failure of government, there'

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ yaara bou melhem: new zealand, aotearoa, is blessed with fresh water, with its turquoiseed mountains. its pristine and dramatic landscapes are the sets