A $40 million fund aimed at reducing the amount of nitrogen entering Lake Rotorua is now open to all landowners with nitrogen to sell in the Lake Rotorua catchment.
The Lake Rotorua Incentives Scheme is available for those landowners willing to make permanent land use changes to reduce the amount of nitrogen entering the lake.
The $40 million scheme, funded jointly by the Crown and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, was set up to buy 100 tonnes of nitrogen from landowners in the catchment by incentivising landowners to adopt a low nitrogen loss land use.
Lake Rotorua Incentives Committee chairman, councillor Norm Bruning, said the scheme had been focused on negotiations with large landowners but negotiations were now open to all, including small land block owners with 150kg - 1000kg of nitrogen to sell.
"We're ready and waiting to negotiate purchasing nitrogen, and no land size is too small or too large. Selling nitrogen to the Incentives Committee is about permanent reductions," he said.
Mr Bruning said anyone who had thought of selling nitrogen or wanted to know more should get in touch with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Involvement in the scheme was voluntary and negotiations would be kept confidential.
"We've removed all the barriers and it's an easy process which is now accessible to everyone."
Once a landowner decided they wanted to sell, the regional council funds the farm consultants who help the landowners with land use change options and developing a nitrogen management plan.
The regional council then decides whether they've got nitrogen to sell.
Mr Bruning said sellers could choose which farm consultant they wanted to work with.
"Then we complete the paperwork and provide you with the written documentation, you sign, complete any necessary land use change and we put the money in your bank," he said.
Mr Bruning said they had tried to make the process as simple as possible so landowners could concentrate on "real work".
He said there was a set amount of money to purchase nitrogen, enough to stop 100 tonnes from entering the lake.
"Act now so you don't miss out. It all starts with a phone call. Expressions of interest must be indicated by July 31."
The Incentives Scheme is part of the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme Integrated Framework, which ultimately seeks to reduce the amount of nitrogen form entering Lake Rotorua by 320 tonnes. The Integrated Framework also includes land use rules, the Gorse Conversion Scheme and engineering solutions.