Weed removal proves sticky job

Council contractors are busy removing tonnes of lake weed which washed up after recent stormy weather. Photo/Ben Fraser

Rotorua District Council staff and contractors are hard at work cleaning up after last week's storm which washed a large amount of lake weed onto the shores of Lake Rotorua.

It is the biggest clean-up of lake weed following stormy weather in about five years and the removal work is expected to take up to another two weeks and cost up to $80,000.

Large amounts of lake weed washed up at the Lakefront reserve, Ohinemutu, Kawaha Point and Ngongotaha.

Contractors and Castlecorp staff worked through Easter on the clean-up, which is continuing.

A council representative said the priority was to clear all public boat ramps, the Lakefront, Ngongotaha lakefront reserves, Kawaha Point reserves and Ohinemutu, where the focus has been on the area around St Faith's Church where Anzac services will be held tomorrow.

The clean-up cost is more than initially expected due largely to difficulties at Ohinemutu where the soft lake bed and ground conditions are making it harder to get to.

Three contractors with equipment needed to remove the weed, plus staff from Castlecorp, have been working non-stop to clear the mess.

One of those contractors, Bill Rigney, got a digger stuck in the lake near St Faith's Church while cleaning up the weed.

"We'd been backwards and forwards on that spot about a dozen times, but there are volcanic soft spots out there, it was my last load of the day, too, and the rocks underneath collapsed."

Mr Rigney said he was bringing in a 100-tonne crane this morning to pull the digger out of the lake in time for Anzac Day.

There were no oil leaks or any other damage, he said.

"The council were pretty keen to get it done before Anzac [Day] so we got down there as soon as we could to do our good deed for the community, but it all turned to custard.

"I've been doing this for them for about 25 years and this is the first time this has happened," Mr Rigney said.