Making the Rotorua Te Arawa lakes safer for all
The Rotorua Te Arawa lakes are of special importance to Te Arawa people and loved by tourists. This programme aims to restore the water quality of these precious lakes.
About the lakes
The Rotorua Te Arawa lakes (Rotorua, Rotoiti, Ōkāreka and Rotoehu) attract close to 1 million tourists every year.
The lakes are also of special importance to the Te Arawa people. The health of the water is essential to their well-being.
Unfortunately, the water quality of the lakes has deteriorated dramatically over the past few decades.
At times the lakes had to be closed for swimming and fishing because of harmful algal blooms.
About the programme
In March 2008, the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme was formed to restore the water quality of these lakes.
The programme involves sewerage reticulation of lake-side communities, harvesting lake weeds, constructing floating wetlands and establishing aeration devices to prevent algal blooms.
It also includes management solutions to reduce livestock and sediment runoff.
The programme will continue until 2032. Already water testing shows major improvements in all four of the lakes.
The Crown committed $72.1 million for the implementation of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme (50 per cent of the project cost) through to 2032.
Find out more about the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme