Wetland to finally get repaired

The wetland was damaged last year after it looked like the prow of a boat had been intentionally rammed into it and it was not known who caused the damage. Photo / Ben Fraser

Rotorua's almost million-dollar floating wetland is finally being repaired after it was damaged in November last year.

A Rotorua District Council spokesperson said it had taken some time to consider and design repair options and obtain materials which needed to be shipped from overseas.

Repairs are being undertaken by Kauri Park Limited, which designed and constructed the wetland, and at no cost to the council due to an ongoing maintenance contract.

The cost of constructing the wetland was $900,000.

The council contributed half of that with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council contributing a quarter and another quarter came through Crown funding.

The spokesperson said the wetland had been flourishing in its Sulphur Point location and whether it would remain there was still to be decided. "If it is considered it should remain in its current location and consent is required to enable that to happen, there would be a public consultation process."

The wetland was damaged last year after it looked like the prow of a boat had been intentionally rammed into it, the council said at the time. It was not known who caused the damage. It is believed to be the Southern Hemisphere's largest man-made floating wetland and has a life expectancy of about 20 years. Its purpose is to remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from Lake Rotorua and to double as a tourist attraction with the native plants sown to spell out Rotorua. The wetland has been at Sulphur Point since December 2012 to allow the plants to establish themselves before it was supposed to be moved to a place opposite the airport in February this year.

What do you think?
Email editor@dailypost.co.nz, write a letter to PO Box 1442, Rotorua or text OP (message) to 021 242 4568.