Action group lays down law

Bay of Plenty Regional Council environmental delivery manager Warwick Murray speaks at yesterday's meeting. Photo / Stephen Parker

Do it once, do it right and do it fairly were the key messages delivered to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council at a meeting set up to discuss future rules around the protection of Lake Rotorua.

The sometimes heated gathering was set up by members of the group Protect Rotorua who are unhappy with the way the regional council is forming its draft Lake Rotorua nutrient rules which aim to reduce the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous entering the lake.

About 60 people attended yesterday's meeting at the Distinction Hotel, including six regional councillors and some regional council staff.

Members of the group told the Rotorua Daily Post they were frustrated that regional council staff did not address all of their concerns raised at a previous meeting, but were also pleased the regional council was now taking concerns seriously.

The group was concerned new rules could make their land uneconomical to farm, lower land values and impose tough restrictions on land use, and had engaged high-profile lawyer Mai Chen to help their cause.

Group members also said the science used to help construct the draft rules was inconclusive and needed independent verification and peer review.

Regional council staff admitted the science was not perfect but was the best information they had to work with.

Mr Murray said the council had followed up on feedback from a meeting held in September which asked them to personally contact all those at the meeting, conduct individual site visits, hold information days and provide answers to Official Information Act requests.

He assured those present the council was not going to rush the process.

Regional council strategic development group manager Fiona McTavish said other issues brought up by Protect Rotorua were still being actioned, including further research into alum dosing of the lake, economic impacts and the formation of a new accord to bring all affected groups together.

Protect Rotorua spokeswoman Sharon Love said in an earlier statement that the group wanted to "be sure that landowners are encouraged to do what they can to farm sustainably and to make sure any rules for the lake will be cost effective and must benefit the lake".