Economic impact to be considered in balancing lakes quality

Assurances the economic impact of proposed new land use rules for the Lake Rotorua catchment will be considered before formal consultation next year is positive, says Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick.

“We have had a successful meeting with our partners in the Te Arawa Lakes Programme recently and have listened to feedback received during the recent informal consultation phase,” says Mayor Chadwick.

Following informal consultation on the proposed new rules, Bay of Plenty Regional Council has confirmed the economic impact will be considered before formal consultation next year.

The Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme (RTALP), which is a partnership between Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Rotorua District Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, received feedback during informal consultation that confirmed clean lakes were wanted but that there was a need to balance that with the success of the district’s economy.

Research is now being carried out on the economic impact and is expected to be analysed alongside scientific results, technical and legislative requirements and decisions already made by RTALP within the first half of next year.

“All parties remain committed to achieving water quality levels for Lake Rotorua and acknowledge that this can be achieved through a mix of incentives and rules that are acceptable to the residents of Rotorua,” says Mayor Chadwick.

“We acknowledge the concerns of landowners about the land-use restrictions they’re facing. Their anxieties around land valuations and the economic impact the proposed rules could have for them, and the wider district, are genuine and shared.”

Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme Strategy Group chair and Te Arawa Lakes Trust chair Sir Toby Curtis says Rotorua’s lakes are absolutely vital to the district’s cultural, social, environmental and economic wellbeing.

“Improving and protecting water quality in our lakes remains of prime importance – as does the economic sustainability of key sectors we rely on, and the wellbeing and future economic security of our residents.

“We need to make sure that whatever is put in place is going to do the least possible harm, as well as protect the wellbeing and future economic security of our residents,” Sir Toby says.

Meanwhile, support services for landowners are being developed following discussions at a recent meeting of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group. The meeting discussed concerns about the health and wellbeing of landowners affected by the proposed new rules for the Lake Rotorua catchment. A draft package of support is expected to be presented at the Lakes Strategy Group’s next meeting in early December.

The proposed land-use rules would require reduced nitrogen discharges and would affect all rural properties over two hectares. The rules would place stricter limits on nitrogen losses from rural land and would require annual reporting. Some properties would require resource consent with a nitrogen discharge allowance to be met by 2032.

The proposed framework for the rules has been developed with a stakeholder advisory group which included landowner representatives, mainly from farming sectors. Recent informal consultation with landowners produced strong opposition from small block owners.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder said the informal feedback from landowners helps define the areas requiring further investigation, with the next phase being a robust economic evaluation.

“We’re in the early stages of the legislative process, so there are lots of opportunities for people to have input and influence the outcomes. It’s important that all affected or interested people remain actively engaged, so we will ensure the process and the timings of this process are defined in conjunction with landowners to ensure a viable outcome”, he said.

Proposed approach to reducing nitrogen:
· The Te Arawa Lakes Programme is a partnership between Rotorua District Council, Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Bay of Plenty Regional Council and aims to improve and protect the water quality of the district’s lakes.

· In 2010 a nitrogen limit was set for Lake Rotorua, allowing no more than 435 tonnes of nitrogen to go into the lake each year. To reach that target the amount of nitrogen going in to the lake needs to be reduced by 320 tonnes per year.

· 50 tonnes of the 320 tonne reduction requirement each year will be reduced through urban and engineering solutions such as wastewater treatment.

· The remaining 270 tonnes need to be achieved through reductions from rural land.

· The nitrogen removal target for the proposed new rules is 140 tonnes by setting nitrogen discharge allowances (NDAs) for properties.

· A $2.5m gorse conversion fund is expected to remove 30 tonnes of nitrogen by 2022 through the conversion of 870 hectares of gorse to production forestry, native bush or other low nitrogen leaching activities.

· A $40m incentives fund aims to permanently remove 100 tonnes of nitrogen from the catchment through initiatives over and above required NDAs.

· A $5.5m fund will support landowners to make decisions about how to reach NDAs.

· Rule 11, which came into effect in 2005, capped nutrient losses on properties in the Lake Rotorua catchment. The proposed new rules will set new limits and will affect all properties over 2 hectares, including lifestyle blocks.

[ENDS]

© Scoop Media