waste water into Lake Rotorua

Good on you Sir Toby, all on the Lakes Trust, Regional Councillor Tipene Marr and kuia Blanche Hophepa-Kiriona for blowing the whistle on  treated wastewater going straight into Lake Rotorua. They join RDRR and many other activists in trying to stop nitrogen and phosphorous going back into the lake.

Clearly, none of them believe the Mayor’s position that “there are no viable, affordable land disposal alternatives.” It shows that Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson’s pretend MOU with CNI (to get out of the Whaka Forest by 2019) was a silly political stunt that was never going to work.

Te Tatau o Te Arawa chair Te Taru White had to admit being surprised by the Lakes Trust’s decision and yet said he was comfortable with the council’s consultation process. He and his Board are obviously out of touch with the many groups represented on the Lakes Trust and yet cravenly supportive of the council’s so-called ‘consultation’ processes. His ‘co-governor’, the Mayor, and her acolytes have nowhere to go but back in the forest.

Even the Council is at odds with the Mayor’s position. They have just applied to discharge treated wastewater into the forest south of Rotoiti with iwi support.

So why would Council now go to the Environment Court without public support in the hope of discharging into Lake Rotorua?

They will lose. It will be a colossal waste of ratepayers’ money.

Harry Brasser