Collaborative Development of Lake Rotoiti Operational Strategy

A new operational strategy has been developed for the consent to operate the Okere Gates structure that controls levels in Lake Rotoiti through discharge to the Kaituna River. Te Arawa Lakes Trust, the owners of the Rotoiti lakebed (under the Te Arawa Lakes Act, 2006) and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Rivers and Drainage Group, jointly developed the programme to determine the operational strategy for renewal of the consent.

The process to consult with affected parties and develop and refine an operational strategy is described. This was undertaken in three distinct stages. Stage 1 included modelling of several different operational options and evaluation of these options in terms of environmental, cultural, social and economic well beings. The modelling which comprised both hydrological and operation optimization is briefly presented together with the challenges to evaluate option performance in terms of the well beings. Stage 2 involved considerable community consultation, engagement and discussion to refine the operational strategy and undertake an environmental assessment of the proposed operations. Collaborative efforts to arrive at a solution that the diverse parties could “live with”, is summarized. Stage 3, from filing the consent application to issue of the consent, describes issues addressed in developing the operational management plan based on the operational strategy.

The paper provides insights into the challenges and lessons learned in iwi/local government collaboration on lake and river resource management.