MEDIA RELEASE

Lake Rotoiti wall to be built by Tauranga company

For immediate release: Thursday 22. March 2007
A Tauranga-based construction company has taken up the challenge to build an $11 million wall that will help to clean up one of Rotorua’s most popular lakes.

Environment Bay of Plenty has accepted HEB Smithbridge’s tender for construction of the kilometre long in-lake structure which is crucial for Lake Rotoiti’s future. Construction work is expected to start in June and will take about a year.

The diversion wall, which will be funded by Environment Bay of Plenty and Central Government, will be located by the channel that links Lake Rotorua and Lake Rotoiti. It will stop Lake Rotorua’s nutrient-laden water flowing into Lake Rotoiti. Scientists expect this to improve the algae-ridden lake’s water quality in less than five years, with the support of lakeside reticulation projects.

Chairman John Cronin says council’s tender approval marks “a significant milestone” for Lake Rotoiti, and the Rotorua Lakes Protection and Restoration Action Programme. “We are extremely pleased to see it reach this point so quickly. It has been a lot of very hard work for staff and consultants, and has involved extensive community consultation. The rate of progress is a credit to everyone, our partners in the programme, central Government, and especially the Rotorua community, including local iwi whose support was critical to the project. It reflects the fact that we all have the same urgency of vision – to protect and restore Lake Rotoiti, and our other iconic lakes, for the sake of current and future generations.”

Because of the lake’s national status, Central Government has offered to contribute $4 million towards the cost of the project, originally thought to cost about $8 million. The balance was to be paid for by regional and Rotorua district ratepayers. Later, after detailed investigation, the estimate of costs rose to between $14 and $16 million. Mr Cronin says the tender process saw final overall costs decrease to just under $11 million.

“We really appreciate the Government’s pledge to support this project, and look forward to continuing to work together to clean up the lakes,” Mr Cronin says.

Paul Dell, Environment Bay of Plenty’s lakes project coordinator, says HEB Smithbridge is a company with a strong reputation for quality work and past experience with piling under similar circumstances. Its tender met all the tender requirements, he says. “We are very pleased to have them on board with such a major project.”

Rotorua District Council and Beca Consultants will manage the construction project on behalf of Environment Bay of Plenty.

The diversion structure will be driven into the lake bed and rise to just above lake level. It will start at the entrance to the Ohau Channel and run about 75 metres offshore parallel to State Highway 33. The main length of the wall will be solid steel sheetpile.

The wall is one of a number of measures being taken to improve water quality in both lakes, including a massive sewerage reticulation project by Rotorua District Council.

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