Lake plan wallops farmers in pocket

By NICOLA BOYES

With 4000ha of dairy-farming land, Ngati Whakaue Tribal Lands is a big player in the Rotorua district's dairy industry.

An economic report commissioned by Environment Bay of Plenty tells just how important all farmers are to Rotorua's economy, says chief executive Rick Vallance.

The report by Nimmo Bell highlighted the fact that decisions made about the lakes not only had an environmental impact, but a socio-economic one, with farmers making a huge contribution to the region's GDP, Mr Vallance said.

The report looks at the economic effects of changing farmland to forestry in a bid to reduce nutrient run-off into Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti, and describes the loss to farmers as "considerable".

It says if all the dairy land in the catchment was converted to forestry, the economic impact would be similar to a 10 per cent decline in the number of tourists that worsening lake conditions could cause.

The loss to farmers could be around $30 million if nutrient levels remain as they are, but if a 15-year policy was put in place requiring a 250-tonne reduction of nutrient run-off, the cost could rise to $90 million.

Mr Vallance said the comprehensive report was welcome, as opposed to a "lynch mob" mentality which blamed high nutrient levels on farmers who were already working to improve run-off.

"It's not much good saving the lakes if no one can live here. We have to find sustainable answers that don't destroy the wellbeing of the people."

The chairman of Dairy Farmers of New Zealand Rotorua/Taupo, Lachlan McKenzie, said farming did have an impact on nutrient levels in the lakes through run-off, but you could argue how much.

He said increased nitrogen and phosphate levels was a natural occurrence anyway, and the report suggested the cost of planting farmlands into forestry would be huge to the Rotorua economy.

"Everyone wants to live in a natural pristine environment but nobody wants to pay for it. What this report shows is what it will cost to fix up the lakes."

He said the suggestion of converting to forestry was uneconomical, in effect forcing farmers off their land through rules and regulations.

The report says agriculture and food processing is worth $153 million to the Rotorua district while forestry contributes $162 million and tourism $215 million.

It also says that with the proposed changes it could take 30 years or more before the water quality improves.

Lakes Project Group manager Paul Dell said the report was simply to see the possible economic impacts of differing land uses to improve water quality in the lakes.

He said there was already a lot of forestry in the area and the council was not asking farmers to go out and plant trees.

"Things do not always come down to an economic cost."

The report would be used to look at possible interventions to improve the water quality, he said.


FARM REPORT

An Environment BOP report says if all the dairy land in the Rotorua catchment was converted to forestry, the economic impact would be similar to a 10 per cent decline in the number of tourists that worsening lake conditions could cause.

The loss to farmers could be around $30 million if nutrient levels remain the same as they are.