Latest news with #BayOfPlenty
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Holes in wall designed to keep polluted water out of Lake Rotoiti alarm locals
Large holes have formed in the sides of the Ōhau channel diversion wall, which was constructed to block the flow of more polluted water into Lake Rotoiti. Photo: Supplied There is growing discontent in Rotorua about the state of the Ōhau channel diversion wall, which was meant to protect the pristine waters of Lake Rotoiti. The wall was built in 2008 to divert polluted nutrient-rich water from Lake Rotorua, which otherwise flowed into Lake Rotoiti through a small channel. But the wall is corroding, and locals RNZ spoke to said the Bay of Plenty Regional Council wasn't fixing it fast enough, something the council disputed. Lake Rotoiti is one of the larger lakes in the region, and also one of the most popular. Lakes Water Quality Society chairman John Gifford said the Ōhau diversion wall was expected to last 50 years, but only six years after it went in, corrosion was noticed. Now large holes had opened up, and instead of a diversion wall it was more like a leaky bucket. Lakes Water Quality Society chairman John Gifford, at Lake Rotoiti. Photo: RNZ/ Libby Kirkby-McLeod "With holes in the wall of course there's the opportunity for water to move straight through the wall, contaminate and increase the nutrient-load of Lake Rotoiti and that's just totally inappropriate," Gifford said. However, Bay of Plenty Regional Council lakes operations manager Andy Bruere said it wasn't as bad as it sounded. "The wall is still there. Having some holes in it doesn't mean it's not doing its function," Bruere said. "It's continuing to function, but probably not quite as efficiently as it would if it had no holes in the wall." Lake Rotoiti Photo: RNZ/ Libby Kirkby-McLeod Bruere said that when the wall went in, the water quality of Lake Rotorua was very bad, but that wasn't so much the case now. "It's important to acknowledge that we have made very significant improvements to the water quality in Lake Rotorua and so that makes a difference to the impact of the wall, compared to 2008 when it was put in." This argument isn't very convincing though to locals such as Tim Manning, who wasn't happy with the regional council. "Its job is to keep the diversion going for 50 years and its mandate is environmental. It made me think maybe [Minister for Regional Development] Shane Jones got it right that these regional councils are so far out of touch they maybe shouldn't be there," he said. Manning had lived on Lake Rotoiti for 35 years, and also owned the local hot pools. He said the lake was awful before the diversion wall went in. "There was algal blooms, there was discoloured water, there was smells, there were people being sick," he said. One of the holes in the wall, underwater. Photo: Supplied The difference after the Ōhau diversion wall went in was stunning - for a time. "The last five or six years, every year, it goes backwards. "It's discolouring more, there's more algal blooms cropping up - not quite to the extent it got to 15 years ago - but every year it's getting worse," he said. Both John Gifford and Tim Manning said the regional council was not doing enough to stop Lake Rotoiti from becoming polluted again. But Andy Bruere said that wasn't the case. "We have a strategy around managing the wall which we put in place in 2015, so we are monitoring the corrosion every three years and that is very intensive and detailed monitoring," he said. Bruere pointed out that the council put in a beam to strengthen the wall and was trailing ways to repair the holes. "And then also we are currently looking at a range of options around what could be done to repair the holes and repair the wall in a short-term way or in a long-term way." He said that it was important that any improvements had a positive effect, and the council also needed to consider the level of impact climate change might have in the future. Whether this will satisfy unhappy locals was still to be seen. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura retires
Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Deputy Police Commissioner Tania Kura has retired, RNZ understands. Kura had been in police for 37 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. RNZ has approached police for comment. Do you know more? Email Kura was appointed was appointed the first ever female Police Commissioner in November on an interim basis after former commissioner Andrew Coster stood down, before the current commissioner Richard Chambers got the job. In 2020, Kura became the first female police officer to be appointed deputy commissioner. Most recently, she has been in charge of frontline operations, overseeing investigations and day-to-day policing across all 12 police districts. Kura joined the police in 1987. She has worked at the Royal New Zealand Police College and the districts of Canterbury, Southern, Central, Bay of Plenty, and Eastern in a variety of uniform and investigative and leadership positions. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather: Heavy rain, possible thunderstorms for large parts of the country
There is a moderate risk of a few thunderstorms in the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges until mid-morning. Photo: MetService Much of New Zealand can expect heavy rain on Thursday morning, while there is a moderate risk of thunderstorms for some regions. MetService said an unstable northwest flow is moving across the North Island, with western Northland to Taranaki at moderate risk of thunderstorms, extending inland to western Taupō and northern Taumarunui and far western Tasman and Buller districts. There is also a moderate risk of a few thunderstorms in the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges until mid-morning. Thunderstorms will bring brief heavy rain of 5-20mm/h and small hail for Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki, southern Manawatū, Horowhenua and Kāpiti Thursday afternoon. MetService also issued a heavy rain watch for North Otago from 6am this morning until 5pm. Meanwhile, there is a road snowfall warning in place for Porters Pass - State Highway 73 from 10pm tonight until 6am Friday. There is also a road snowfall warning in place for Crown Range Road until 9am Thursday. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather: Power cuts, trees fall on SH2 in Bay of Plenty thunderstorm
File pic Photo: UnSplash/ Craig Whitehead More than 200 homes in Bay of Plenty are without power, after high winds and thunderstorms moved across the region overnight. Nearly 170 homes were cut off across Oropi and Pukehina overnight, and another 70 properties are without power in Tauranga on Wednesday. Meanwhile, State Highway 2 at Karangahake Gorge is under traffic management due to a fallen tree. The highway was earlier closed between Manawahe Road and Caverhill Road due to a downed tree but has now reopened, NZ Ttransport Agency says. UPDATE - 7:25AM This section of #SH2 is now OPEN. ^AA MetService says strong gusts peaked at 50 kilometres an hour last night. A heavy rain watch for the Bay of Plenty region was lifted at 6am. Meanwhile, MetService says there will be another round of thunderstorms today due to the low pressure system over the Tasman Sea. The low pressure system over the Tasman Sea has another serving of squally thunderstorms for us today. ⛈ This brings the risk of heavy falls, strong wind gusts and hail to western parts of the country In the South Island, Arthur's Pass and Porters Pass are both under road snowfall warnings which will expire at 9am. Around 1cm of snow is expected on both above 900 metres and after that there will be rain.
RNZ News
10-06-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Weather: Power cuts in Bay of Plenty, SH2 closed by fallen trees
File pic Photo: UnSplash/ Craig Whitehead More than 200 homes in Bay of Plenty are without power, after high winds and thunderstorms moved across the region overnight. Nearly 170 homes were cut off across Oropi and Pukehina overnight, and another 70 properties are without power in Tauranga on Wednesday. Meanwhile, State Highway 2 at Karangahake Gorge is under traffic management due to a fallen tree. The highway was earlier closed between Manawahe Road and Caverhill Road due to a downed tree but has now reopened, NZ Ttransport Agency says. UPDATE - 7:25AM This section of #SH2 is now OPEN. ^AA MetService says strong gusts peaked at 50 kilometres an hour last night. A heavy rain watch for the Bay of Plenty region was lifted at 6am. Meanwhile, MetService says there will be another round of thunderstorms today due to the low pressure system over the Tasman Sea. The low pressure system over the Tasman Sea has another serving of squally thunderstorms for us today. ⛈ This brings the risk of heavy falls, strong wind gusts and hail to western parts of the country In the South Island, Arthur's Pass and Porters Pass are both under road snowfall warnings which will expire at 9am. Around 1cm of snow is expected on both above 900 metres and after that there will be rain.
