Research to safeguard Lake Taupo's future
A new research initiative has received significant funding to help safeguard the future of one of New Zealand's most
popular and cherished water resources, Lake Taupo.
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has invested $12.8m over six years in a programme that will address
the declining water quality of our largest lake due to nitrogen run-off.
The research, led by AgResearch Ltd, will develop new technologies, improved land use practices and policies that will
lead to the protection of Lake Taupo and the economic and community benefits that are linked to the lake's environmental
value.
Programme Leader, Stewart Ledgard from AgResearch Ltd, says the research is critical to the future of Lake Taupo but is
also significant for water resources and tourism nationwide.
"New Zealand relies heavily on its pristine rural image for marketing of produce and for tourism. Lake Taupo is critical
to this because of its icon status as our largest lake. It also has important cultural value for Ngati Tuwharetoa, who
own around 85% of land in the catchment.
"A decline in lake water quality from increased nitrogen has been estimated to give a net economic loss from reduced
tourism of up to $97 million a year, according to an Environment Waikato survey. This refers only to land in the Lake
Taupo catchment and would clearly be higher if applied to other sensitive water bodies," says Stewart.
The Foundation's Group Manager of Portfolio Management, John Smart, says the research sets an excellent precedent for
New Zealand in terms of planned policy intervention via restrictions on land use.
"The research techniques and tools derived from this research will be able to be applied to problems in other regions of
New Zealand, such as the Rotorua lakes and Canterbury's groundwater quality," he says.
The Lake Taupo research will be carried out by an experienced multidisciplinary team covering the broad disciplines of
biophysical, land use systems, modelling, economics and social research. Research links include Forest Research, NIWA
and Lincoln Environmental, as well as collaborators from Australia, Germany, Italy and USA who will contribute to
methodology and technology development.