Lake Rotorua Timeline Information Sheet 1 Sheet Information

1880s 2009 Rotorua established as a spa 2004 destination for tourists which Brunswick / Rotokawa 1991 Deed of Settlement continues to thrive, despite the sewerage scheme works Treated sewage is signed by Te Arawa tragedy of the 1886 Tarawera completed. 1970s discharged to land, not and the Crown, with 2006 eruption. Utuhina Stream About 200,000 years ago Ngongotahā and eastern the lake. Commissioning the subsequent Lake Rotorua-Rotoiti Action areas of Rotorua P locking plant Lake Rotorua is Trout and other fish introduced to of the Rotorua sewage 2006 legislation Plan finalised. reticulated; wastewater commissioned, formed in a caldera Lake Rotorua. treatment plant upgrade, creating the Te reducing lake Puarenga P locking plant (crater caused by a 1950s treatment plant incorporating the spray Arawa Lakes Trust Land development phosphorus load by commissioned, reducing volcanic eruption), progressively upgraded irrigation discharge to and formalising the accelerates with 2 tonnes annually. annual lake phosphorus load and is bigger and 1300s although still discharging the Whakarewarewa Rotorua Te Arawa 1890s aerial topdressing by a further 2 tonnes. deeper than the lake The Te Arawa treated effluent to the lake. forest. The nitrogen Lakes Strategy today. Subsequent people move inland Pastoral farming of fertiliser leading The Rotorua wastewater load to the lake was Group with the Trust, eruptions form and settle around and cropping to widespread treatment plant completed reduced to about 20% BOPRC and RDC as Mokoia Island and the Rotorua and begins, with development of 1974. of previous levels. partners. Mount Ngongotahā. Taupo Lake areas. 1700 ha by 1896. pastoral farming.

About 22,000 1920s 1970s and 1980s 2009-2011 years ago About 1830 Farm blocks balloted by The Upper Kaituna Catchment Control Scheme Land management Lake levels drop Pakeha settlement Government but prone to 2002 was initiated in 1975 to promote soil conservation and land use change by about 30m begins when Maketū- bush sickness due to cobalt Rule 11 proposed to 2008 and control lake levels. Most works took place actions agreed when the caldera based trader Philip deficiency, with some blocks cap nutrient losses Hinemoa Point during the 1980s and attracted generous 2005 between BOPRC and collapses. Ōhau Tapsell visits Rotorua reverting to scrub, broome in the catchment sewerage Government subsidies, including: Methanol dosing several landowners channel is and subsequently and gorse. as part of the wider scheme works Regional Water and at the wastewater with financial formed. marries into Te Arawa. ▪▪ Fencing and planting of stream margins completed. Rotorua township Land Plan. treatment plant to assistance, reducing development continues and ▪▪ Gully erosion controls and planting/retirement of improve treatment annual nitrogen becomes a borough in 1922. steep slopes efficiency. loads by about 4 tonnes. ▪▪ Flood protection stopbanks through the Rotorua urban area, plus stream clearing, straightening 1960s and construction of floodways on Ngongotahā Rotorua declared a city in 1962. and Waiteti Streams. Land conversion from bush to pasture largely completed. ▪▪ Level control structures on Lakes Rotorua (Ōhau Channel stop logs) and Rotoiti (Ōkere Sheep numbers peaked at more than 800,000 in 1967 control gates). before falling as farms intensified with dairy and deer conversion. Options to reduce nutrient sewage nutrient inputs were also assessed under this scheme, including the proposed Rotorua-Kaituna pipeline which was abandoned after a critical Waitangi Tribunal report.