Kaituna users ignore health warning

By ALISON BROWN in Rotorua
Kayakers and white water rafters are ignoring warnings to stay out of the Kaituna River following an outbreak of toxic algal bloom.

Commercial rafting operators, angered by what they claim is a lack of information on the threat to river users, are demanding an urgent meeting with public health officials to discuss the issue.

On Friday, Bay of Plenty Medical Officer of Health Phil Shoemack extended the warning for lakes Rotoehu and Rotoiti to include the river after tests showed a high level of cyanobacteria in its upper portions.

River users, including commercial rafting companies, were emailed in the afternoon to advise of the health threat posed by the toxins, which affected the Kaituna River for the first time last year.

However, several rafting and kayaking companies who were not on the distribution list only found out about the health warning when an article appeared in The Daily Post on Saturday.

Representatives from each company have met to discuss the health warning and its implications for the industry.

Justin Hutton, owner of River Rats Whitewater Rafting and Adventures, said it was disappointing public health authorities had not consulted commercial operators before issuing the warning.

Operators have also criticised Toi Te Ora Public Health for failing to provide them with any evidence to show cyanobacteria is harmful to river users.

"The general feeling among operators was that as no testing has been done on the effects of cyanobacteria on local river users, the issuing of a public health warning without consultation is inappropriate," Mr Hutton said.

Cyanobacteria, better known as blue green algae, has plagued the region's waterways since the early 1990s.

Skin contact with the water, or drinking it, can lead to a variety of problems, ranging from rashes and asthma attacks to problems with the liver and nervous systems.

There are seven commercial rafting and kayaking companies operating on the river, providing employment for up to 70 people on a full or part time basis during the peak summer season.

A spokesman for Kaituna Cascades Raft and Kayak Expeditions said it was "ridiculous" for health officials to expect operators to close their businesses based on a health warning few people understood to be a real threat.

However, Mr Hutton said operators were concerned about the risk it posed to the industry, which contributed several million dollars to the Rotorua economy every year.

Concerns heightened after Environment Bay of Plenty unveiled plans for a diversion which could see a large wall-like structure built at the mouth of the Ohau Channel, which separates lakes Rotoiti and Rotorua.

The structure would divert the flow of water coming from the Ohau Channel directly into the Okere Arm and the Kaituna River, preventing the nutrient-loaded water from settling within Lake Rotoiti.

The public has been invited to have its say on the plan next month when a series of consultation meetings and information days will be held.

Dr Shoemack said although people should take notice of the plan they could not ban anyone from entering the water.

He stressed commercial operators were contacted about the algal bloom as soon as health officials were notified by Environment Bay of Plenty, which conducts water quality tests.

He has welcomed the idea of regular meetings with operators to discuss river quality issues.

Meanwhile, findings from a survey investigating visitors' perceptions of the water quality in Rotorua's lakes will be released at the end of this month.

Undertaken by Destination Rotorua Tourism Marketing and carried out by Key Research, it aims to find out the impact the water quality of the district's lakes is having on travel patterns.

The findings will be used to develop a strategy to market Rotorua to offset any negative images.