Nutrient-reducing floating wetlands may be created for Rotorua lakes suffering water-quality issues, after a deal between Environment Bay of Plenty and Te Arawa Lakes Trust.

The wetlands would help to reduce nutrients by enabling nitrogen in the water to convert to gaseous nitrogen, which can be released into the air.

Rotorua Lakes programme manager Andy Bruere welcomed the deal, saying it would simplify the approval process for groups creating such wetlands.

Te Arawa Lakes Trust chairman Toby Curtis said it was a non-intrusive and environmentally friendly way of addressing lakes' water-quality issues.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) recently trialled the wetlands for Environment Bay of Plenty, and two demonstration wetlands were built at Lake Rotoehu.

Mr Bruere said the trial wetlands out-performed land-based wetlands.NZPA