What: Green Party Co-leader kayaks the Manawatu River as part of his national Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour. When: 9.30am, Friday 26 February. Where: Meet at carpark before Fitzherbert Bridge, left hand side of Fitzherbert Ave just past Hardie St. Dr Norman will embark from the end of Maxwell's Line and paddle to Karere Road.

Who: Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman and supporters.

Green Party Co-leader Russel Norman continue his national 'Dirty Rivers Rafting Tour' on the Manawatu River tomorrow.

Throughout the summer, Dr Norman is rafting and kayaking down some of the country's most polluted lowland rivers, as a fun and unusual way to raise public awareness about the water problems in our own back yard.

Dr Norman had been scheduled to kayak the Manawatu earlier this month but the trip had been cancelled due to bad weather.

The Manawatu River is one of the most polluted rivers in New Zealand. Last year, research by the Cawthron Institute revealed that on one measure of water quality, the Manawatu was the worst of more than 300 rivers around the world.

When the Ministry for the Environment released river water quality league tables for the first time in October 2009, the Manawatu was rated in the bottom ten of 60 sites on all three measures of river health: nutrient level, water quality for recreational use, and biological health.

Dr Norman's route 4km route will take him past several point-source discharges, including the Palmerston North City Council Sewage Treatment Plant, a meatworks discharge, Fonterra's Longburn treatment water discharge and a pharmaceutical company discharge. It will also take him past two gravel extraction quarries which discharge sediment laden water back into the Manawatu River.

Dr Norman said the Manawatu's problems were caused by a combination of agricultural run-off, point-source pollution, and urban and stormwater discharge.

"This is one sick river," Dr Norman said. "I am looking forward to seeing the problems first hand, but it won't be pretty. The dire state of the Manawatu shows just how urgently we need action to clean up our rivers.

Dr Norman said his trip down the Manawatu was particularly timely with OnePlan water hearings at the Horizons Regional Council ongoing.

References: Coverage of Cawthron Institute research comparing Manawatu to 300 rivers worldwide: http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/3097651/Manawatu-River-among-worst-in-the-Wes

The Minsitry for the Environment's river water quality league tables: http://www.mfe.govt.nz/environmental-reporting/freshwater/river/league-table/river-water-quality-league-tables.html

A google map showing the location of the meeting point: http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1+hardie+st+palmerston+north&sll=-40.376225,175.620025&sspn=0.014745,0.027509&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1+Hardie+St,+Manawatu-wanganui+4410&ll=-40.372117,175.623896&spn=0.001843,0.003439&t=h&z=18