Business fears for Tikitapu quality | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua
Business fears for Tikitapu quality
By KRISTIN MACFARLANE in Rotorua
Jack Timmer's business largely relies on visitors to Lake Tikitapu, so he wants to make sure it does not get in the same state as Lake Rotoiti.
Lake Rotoiti has high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are the main causes of water quality problems.
Mr Timmer owns the popular Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park located opposite Tikitapu (Blue Lake), which can accommodate around 600 people and is regularly packed out over the Christmas holiday period.
Although Mr Timmer believes he has lost some business because of the poor water quality in Lake Rotoiti, Tikitapu is still known as a safe recreational lake.
"We do less business because people perceive it [poor lake quality] as being a Rotorua problem," Mr Timmer said.
"The Blue Lake is one of the best [recreation] sites in the Central North Island," he said.
Even though business hadn't been as good as in the past, Mr Timmer said people who would use Lake Rotoiti including boaties were now coming to Tikitapu, which he believed had its advantages and disadvantages.
"It's good for business but it puts a lot more pressure on the lakes as well."
If the water quality and oxygen levels in Tikitapu degrade to the same level as Rotoiti, Mr Timmer believed this would be detrimental to his business.
"If they can't get on to the lake then there's no reason for them to come here," he said.
Because of this he has a very big interest in the health of Tikitapu.
"I do monitor [the lake] carefully and I am concerned," Mr Timmer said.
Mr Timmer and Environment Bay of Plenty now want to make sure that Tikitapu retains its good name.
The regional council along with the Rotorua District Council and the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board are already working together to save five degraded lakes in the Rotorua district, including lakes Rotoiti, Rotorua, Okareka, Rotoehu and Okaro.
Seven more Rotorua lakes are being reviewed to see if they need help to improve water quality with Environment Bay of Plenty carrying out water quality risk assessments on lakes Rotoma, Okataina, Tarawera, Rotokakahi, Rotomahana, Rerewhakaitu and Tikitapu.
Even though these lakes generally have good water quality, Environment Bay of Plenty's group manager for regulation and resource management Paul Dell, said some actions were being taken to protect them, including planned sewage reticulation and riparian protection works.
"We think it is timely to start working on action plans for these lakes to protect their long-term water quality," Mr Dell said.
He understands people are concerned that they are ignoring the higher-quality lakes but he assured residents things were being done to monitor them.
The risk assessments are due to be completed by November and from there, Environment Bay of Plenty will prioritise the lakes for formal action plans, which will begin early next year.
Jack Timmer's business largely relies on visitors to Lake Tikitapu, so he wants to make sure it does not get in the same state as Lake Rotoiti.
Lake Rotoiti has high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, which are the main causes of water quality problems.
Mr Timmer owns the popular Blue Lake Top 10 Holiday Park located opposite Tikitapu (Blue Lake), which can accommodate around 600 people and is regularly packed out over the Christmas holiday period.
Although Mr Timmer believes he has lost some business because of the poor water quality in Lake Rotoiti, Tikitapu is still known as a safe recreational lake.
"We do less business because people perceive it [poor lake quality] as being a Rotorua problem," Mr Timmer said.
"The Blue Lake is one of the best [recreation] sites in the Central North Island," he said.
Even though business hadn't been as good as in the past, Mr Timmer said people who would use Lake Rotoiti including boaties were now coming to Tikitapu, which he believed had its advantages and disadvantages.
"It's good for business but it puts a lot more pressure on the lakes as well."
If the water quality and oxygen levels in Tikitapu degrade to the same level as Rotoiti, Mr Timmer believed this would be detrimental to his business.
"If they can't get on to the lake then there's no reason for them to come here," he said.
Because of this he has a very big interest in the health of Tikitapu.
"I do monitor [the lake] carefully and I am concerned," Mr Timmer said.
Mr Timmer and Environment Bay of Plenty now want to make sure that Tikitapu retains its good name.
The regional council along with the Rotorua District Council and the Te Arawa Maori Trust Board are already working together to save five degraded lakes in the Rotorua district, including lakes Rotoiti, Rotorua, Okareka, Rotoehu and Okaro.
Seven more Rotorua lakes are being reviewed to see if they need help to improve water quality with Environment Bay of Plenty carrying out water quality risk assessments on lakes Rotoma, Okataina, Tarawera, Rotokakahi, Rotomahana, Rerewhakaitu and Tikitapu.
Even though these lakes generally have good water quality, Environment Bay of Plenty's group manager for regulation and resource management Paul Dell, said some actions were being taken to protect them, including planned sewage reticulation and riparian protection works.
"We think it is timely to start working on action plans for these lakes to protect their long-term water quality," Mr Dell said.
He understands people are concerned that they are ignoring the higher-quality lakes but he assured residents things were being done to monitor them.
The risk assessments are due to be completed by November and from there, Environment Bay of Plenty will prioritise the lakes for formal action plans, which will begin early next year.
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