I would like to request the following information under the Local Government Official Information & Meetings Act;
27th March 2008 - Prime Minister Helen Clark announced government funding for restoration project for Rotorua Lakes Protection and Restoration programme.
The total cost of the programme put forward by the councils to address the water quality of four priority lakes is $144.2M.
Those lakes are: Rotorua, Rotoiti, Okareka and Rotoehu.
The local community has signalled its willingness to make major contributions to the cost of restoration. Yet a project of this scale is clearly beyond the ability of the councils alone to fund without excessive burden on their ratepayers. Nor should they be expected to do so when these lakes in our nation's tourism heartland matter to us all.
1. Who decided or determined the four priority lakes?
15th June 2018 - Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group Meeting
An estimated $15-19M was required to finance the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and a working party was assessing the optimal funding mix.
MfE to provide advice regarding process to amend the membership and Terms of Reference and any affect it may have on the funding Deed.
Further inclusion of scope for the Strategy Group included: climate change impacts, lake related biosecurity matters, fisheries, bylaw enforcement, Lake Tarawera as a Deed funded lake.
2. What was the working party's assessment of the optimal funding mix?
3. What was Ministry for Environment's advice on the Terms of Reference and any affect it may have on the funding Deed?
4. Did the Rotorua Lakes Council or Bay of Plenty Regional Council offer any advice?
25th October 2018 - Rotorua Lakes Council Meeting
Background
Members also discussed the need to Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group's Terms of Reference to remain cognisant of changing environmental issues whose impacts should be considered and included in the Strategy Group's function. These included: climate change impacts, lake related biosecurity matters, fisheries, bylaw enforcement, Lake Tarawera as a priority lake.
5. Why was the wording changed from Deed funded lake from the RTLSG meeting on 15th June 2018, to a priority lake in the 25th October 2018 Rotorua Lakes Council Meeting?
6. What is the difference between a Deed funded lake and a priority lake?
2nd November 2018 - Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group Meeting
Amendments to the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group Agreement and Terms of Reference
Resolved
6 - Instruct partner Organisation staff to include the following matters as agenda items were appropriate: climate change impacts, lake related biosecurity matters, fisheries bylaw enforcement, Lake Tarawera as a priority lake. Leeder/Chadwick carried.
6. What was the purpose of amending Lake Tarawera as a priority lake?
7. As a priority lake, was Lake Tarawera entitled to funding as the other four priority lakes?
