MEDIA RELEASE
www.envbop.govt.nz
Farmers band together to save their lake
For immediate release: 7 December 2010
Farmers in the Lake Rerewhakaaitu catchment are working together to reduce nutrient flows from
their farms flowing into their lake.
Last week they celebrated the release of a booklet detailing the work they are doing on their own
farms to improve the lake’s water quality. Their stories are available on the Bay of Plenty Regional
Council’s website www.envbop.govt.nz on the Lake Rerewhakaaitu pages.
The Regional Council has invited the farmers to prepare the lake’s catchment plan, and the group
has participated in two Sustainable Farming Fund projects to address issues with nitrogen and
phosphate management. These projects looked at ways of mitigating leaching into the lake.
Monitoring had shown that nutrient levels in streams flowing into the lake from farming were
increasing. The projects the farmers undertook helped identify ways that pastoral management in
the catchment could be changed to minimise environmental impacts and allow sustainable farming
to continue.
The first project concentrated on using technology to reduce nitrogen flows to the waterways, and
the second looked at phosphate management, using low-cost but effective ways of reducing
phosphorous loss.
The farmers are now onto the next project, and are adopting their own environmental management
systems to improve their nutrient management. They hope that their collective improved nutrient
management will reduce nutrient leaching to Lake Rerewhakaaitu to a sustainable level. The
catchment management plan will include wetland enhancement and lake edge restoration by the
Department of Conservation, and involvement from Dairy NZ, Fonterra and Fert. Research.
The Regional Council’s Group Manager Land Management Warwick Murray said involving the
farmers directly in protecting their lake had provided a catalyst for far-reaching change which had
become a useful model for sustainable farming.
Since the 1970s dairying activities had intensified in the catchment, with nutrient levels increasing
in streams flowing into the lake. Farmers were concerned about the future condition of the lake and
possibly having nutrient constraints imposed on their farming operations.
“The farming community has taken the lead by working together for a common goal of maintaining
their farming businesses while doing everything possible to reduce nutrient flows into Lake
Rerewhakaaitu through minimising effluent and nitrate contamination,” he said.
Ends
For further media information please contact Warwick Murray, Group Manager Land
Management on 0800 ENV BOP (368 267) or Linda Thompson, Senior Communications
Advisor, on 0800 ENV AUTO (368 288) ext 8149 or (021) 923 339.
5 Quay Street, P O Box 364, Whakatane, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 ENV BOP (368 267)
Email: info@envbop.govt.nz
Pollution Hotline: 0800 73 83 93
Facsimile: 0800 ENV FAX (368 329)
Website: www.envbop.govt.nz
International: +64 7 9223390