Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Emergency measures to help Okareka residents

Rotorua Daily Post
23 Jun, 2017 07:19 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Lake Okareka. Photo/File

Lake Okareka. Photo/File

In what it is calling good news for Lake Okareka residents, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council has invoked emergency measures to ease problems caused by high lake levels.

The emergency measures involve increasing outflow from Lake Okareka above the consented maximum flow, to prevent flooding as a result of high lake levels. If necessary this regime will remain in place until the lake level is brought under control.

A variation to the resource consent may need to be sought to authorise this, depending on its duration, and it may be appropriate to seek a more permanent change to the consent so this situation can be addressed easily in the future, the regional council said.

Lake levels on Okareka are extremely high, with the outlet for the lake at maximum flow since March, and this has been causing issues for residents and other users. Groundwater aquifers are fully charged, catchments are saturated and there is so much water that new springs have been popping up throughout the lakes district.

The Lake Okareka outflow to Waitangi Stream is controlled through a gravity pipeline managed by the regional council. The existing maximum flow from Lake Okareka to the Waitangi Stream was set following consultation with the community and considered erosion, water quality and ecological issues such as fish passage.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

These emergency measures have been invoked under Section S330 of the Resource Management Act. The higher flows will be monitored and measured and will assist in a potential review of the existing consent.

The regional council is also modelling the capacity of lake structures, particularly in light of impact of climate change and changes and improvements that will feed into the Asset Management Plan.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 06:00 PM
live
Rotorua Daily Post

Authorities brace for fresh floods, destructive gales, as rain blankets NZ

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Bike racks back for Rotorua buses, Tauranga's a month away

02 Jul 11:55 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

Heating or eating a tough call for some after rates rise, says councillor

02 Jul 06:00 PM

Another councillor said his stance was 'disingenuous' after he backed additional funding.

Authorities brace for fresh floods, destructive gales, as rain blankets NZ
live

Authorities brace for fresh floods, destructive gales, as rain blankets NZ

02 Jul 06:00 PM
Bike racks back for Rotorua buses, Tauranga's a month away

Bike racks back for Rotorua buses, Tauranga's a month away

02 Jul 11:55 AM
Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

Popular Waikato walkway fully reopens after major upgrade

02 Jul 05:00 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP