Submission period for nutrient rules extended

FILE

Bay of Plenty Regional Council has extended the submission period for Lake Rotorua nutrient rules.

The rules are a proposed plan change to the Regional Water and Land Plan, and are one of four parts of the long term solution delivered by the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme (RTALP) aimed at protecting water quality in Lake Rotorua.

Regional Council chair Doug Leeder said a decision was made to extend the time frame to enable landowners, iwi and all interested stakeholders, to understand what the plan change will mean for them and to be able to make an informed submission.

"We received requests from various members of the community who wanted more time to consider the proposed rules and how they feel about them," he said.

"These rules are part of a long term solution so we need to ensure that the rules are fair, achieve the necessary reductions for protecting water quality in Lake Rotorua and the community have had their say in the formal process."

The proposed rules have been under informal consultation for the past two and a half years but the formal process kicked off when the council publicly notified the rules last month.

Letters were sent to rural landowners to notify them of the proposed plan change, who they can talk to about what it means for them, what financial support is available to them to meet the requirements and how they can make a submission.

"If people agree or disagree we want to hear their thoughts so we can refine the rules. This is the formal process to tell us and only those who make a submission can speak at hearings," said Mr Leeder.

Submissions on the proposed plan change will now close at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, 27 April 2016. To make a submission visit www.boprc.govt.nz or phone the dedicated landowners advice line 07 921 3377 for more information.