Symposium 2022

Get on the Boat - Lake Restoration

Changes, Challenges & Maintaining Momentum

Dates: 10 - 11 November 2022
Venue: Millennium Hotel, Rotorua and Online (Hybrid Event)

In 2019, our Symposium theme was “Float Your Boat” -Certify’ where the emphasis was on a call for boat certification to ensure boats launched into the Rotorua Lakes are clean and free of pest plants and animals. The Regional Pest Management Plan was subsequently changed to reflect the community desire to have no more pests invading the Lakes.

This year – our call to action is again to the community to “Get on the Boat” and work with Lakes Water Quality Society to act for the future and drive policy and management strategies which meets community aspirations. Two major challenges exist – maintaining the gains made and managing land and water as an integrated system to make the Lakes more resilient to changes, enhance water quality, and provide resources for future generations.

Much progress has been made across Rotorua lakes and their catchments in reducing nutrient inflows, controlling algae blooms and managing lake weed infestations. But with climate change, significant land use change to production forestry, urban development pressures, and the three waters infrastructure reforms, new challenges are emerging. Many of the lakes remain at risk of further degradation. Lake Tarawera water quality remains a concern. Lake Rotoehu has not responded, as expected, to ten years of control actions. Lake Rotorua is still on “steroids” (receiving alum) to reduce phosphorus inputs and control algae blooms.

Symposium topics include:

  • The state of freshwater in New Zealand.
  • Policy and regulations – progress with implementation and impacts.
  • Mātauranga Māori and manging water in Te Arawa rohe and New Zealand.
  • Protecting biodiversity in Lakes and biosecurity measures.
  • The effectiveness of existing policy in building resilience for and restoring Rotorua’s Lakes.
  • Climate change and Lakes - strategies for future protection.
  • Impacts of production forestry on water quality and the role of the National Environmental Standard – Plantation Forests.
  • Integrated land and water management – what we need to know, policy development, new tools, and their implementation.
Register Here Download Symposium Programme

FLOAT YOUR BOAT, CERTIFY - 2019

Symposium 2019 was held on the 7 th and 8th of November 2019.

Two key issues covered during the Symposium were:

  • The need and options for a “Clean Boat” certification process for all vessels operating on all of the Rotorua Lakes to prevent the spread of aquatic pest plants and fish;
  • An update on Lake restoration activities across the Rotorua Lakes with a special emphasis on Lakes Tarawera and Rotoehu.

The Symposium programme and introductions to our keynote speakers is available here.

Overall, we were pleased with the outcomes of the Symposium. There was strong recognitionthat actions are needed to prevent the spread of pests. As without these, evidence indicates that it is almost inevitable that new and existing pests (plants and fish) will spread to lakes where they are not known to occur currently. Where boat cleaning procedures are effectively enforced, then any new incursions of pests can be largely eliminated. This is the experience from North America and the application of a boat certification and cleaning programme for Lake Tahoe.

For Lake Tarawera, restoration efforts need to take into account that the catchment is complex as there are 7 other contributing lakes (L. Okataina, Okareka, Tikitapu, Rotokakahi, Rotomahana, Okaro and Rerewhakaaitu).Restoration of this Lake requires a good understanding of the both the nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the “catchment complex” and consideration of the effects of significant geothermal inputs. Ongoing work related to sewage reticulation and land use practices are going to be important.

Download Symposium Proceeding

Field trip visit to Lake Rotoiti on the 6 th November.

Past Symposia

The Lakes Water Quality Society – which, including a previous life as the Lakeweed Control Society, is now almost 50 years old – organised in 2001, the first in a series of symposia in conjunction with the Royal Society of NZ (Rotorua Branch). These symposia were initiated for two reasons : firstly, public concern over a decline in lake water quality, especially the spread of blue-green algal (cyanobacterial) blooms; secondly, the limited amount of basic research being conducted for lake water (as opposed to applied research and monitoring). Following the success of this initial foray, subsequent symposia were also organised, and the Society now has a well-deserved reputation for high-quality, current and relevant content for these events.

The Proceedings for each symposium can be viewed and or downloaded below.

Archived Resources

Rotorua Lakes 2017 - Proceedings

Catfish, Lakeweeds and Nutrients- Complex Lake Systems Restoration. 31st August to Friday 1st September, 2017 Millennium Hotel, Rotorua. Hosted by LakesWater Quality Society.

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Rotorua Lakes 2015 - Symposium Summary

Overview of Symposium Lake Weed and Wallabies. 12th - 13th March 2015, Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, 1170 Fenton Street, Rotorua. Hosted by LakesWater Quality Society.

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Rotorua Lakes 2015 - Proceedings

Lake Weed and Wallabies. Their Role and Control in the Ecology of the Rotorua Lakes. 12th - 13th March 2015, Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre, 1170 Fenton Street, Rotorua. Hosted by LakesWater Quality Society.

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Rotorua Lakes 2013 - Proceedings

How can the District Plan Help Water Quality in Lake Rotorua - Transferable Development Rights (TDRs). 4th July 2013, RDC Civic Centre. Hosted by LakesWater Quality Society.

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Rotorua Lakes 2011 - Proceedings

Fix a Lake and Grow a City A Case Study of Rotorua. 7th - 8th April 2011, Rotorua Convention Centre, Rotorua, New Zealand. Hosted by LakesWater Quality Society.

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Rotorua Lakes 2008 - Proceedings

Nutrient Sensitive Zones - Notrigen and Phosphorus, Lakes and Waterways. 12th - 13th August 2008, Heritage Hotel, Rotorua. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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Rotorua Lakes 2006 - Proceedings

Wonderful Lakes - What Value? 6th - 7th March 2006, Park Heritage Hotel, Rotorua. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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Rotorua Lakes 2004 - Proceedings

Restoring Lake Health - Nutrient Targets and Cyanobacteria. 16th - 17th September 2004, Park Heritage Hotel, Rotorua. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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Rotorua Lakes 2003 - Proceedings

Practical Management for Good Lake Water Quality. 9th – 10th October 2003, Rotorua, New Zealand. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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Rotorua Lakes 2002 - Proceedings and Report

A workshop on Lakeside Communities and Sewerage. 20nd September 2002, Centra Hotel, Rotorua, New Zealand. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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Rotorua Lakes 2001 - Proceedings and Report

A symposium on Research Needs of the Rotorua Lakes. 22nd – 23rd March 2001, Rotorua, New Zealand. Jointly hosted by LakesWater Quality Society and The Royal Society of New Zealand (Rotorua Branch).

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