MEDIA RELEASE

Floating wetlands could soon be common sight on Rotorua lakes

For immediate release: Friday 3 April 2009

More Rotorua lakes may soon benefit from nutrient-reducing floating wetlands.

An agreement between Environment Bay of Plenty and Te Arawa Lakes Trust hopes to see more of the wetlands used on the lakes, by simplifying the approval process for groups.

The wetlands are used to help reduce the amount of nutrients in lakes, by providing an environment that converts nitrogen in the water to gaseous nitrogen, which can be released into the air.

Rotorua Lakes Programme Manager Andy Bruere said he was excited about the partnership, as it opened up opportunities for all lakes in the Rotorua Lakes Action and Restoration Action Programme to potentially use floating wetlands.

“Our objective was to simplify the process of getting approval for floating wetlands, where a community wants to get involved and develop a wetland for water quality, amenity and community engagement reasons,” Mr Bruere said.

“It’s an exciting development where Environment Bay of Plenty sees the benefit of working with the Te Arawa Lakes Trust.”

Chairman of Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Toby Curtis said from a Te Arawa perspective it was a non intrusive and environmentally friendly methodology of addressing lakes water quality issues.

“It also provides significant opportunities for any group who may wish to become involved with a floating wetland project to select plants that suit the objectives of a local project, such as watercress or harakeke (flax),” Mr Curtis said.

The wetlands have recently been trialled by NIWA for Environment Bay of Plenty, and two demonstration wetlands built at Lake Rotoehu.

“Trials have indicated that the performance of floating wetlands is very good at reducing nutrient concentrations and in fact exceeds the performance per unit area of land-based wetlands,” Mr Bruere said.

A report on the trials is available on Environment Bay of Plenty’s website www.envbop.govt.nz

“Floating wetlands are simple to construct and the sort of thing that local communities might be interested in getting involved in,” Mr Bruere said.

ENDS

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