Substantial multi-year funding from BayTrust will allow Te Arawa Lakes Trust to double their award-winning efforts to restore the mauri of Rotorua's lakes, as well as build new lake-edge boardwalks for the public to enjoy.

Last week TALT won the Ministry for Primary Industry's New Zealand Biosecurity Māori Award.

It comes just as BayTrust has granted $600,000 to TALT ($200,000 per annum for the next three years) which will allow their environmental team to expand into areas they have not previously had resources for.

The goal is to reduce sediment loads and improve the health of the lakes but also promote the role of Te Arawa as hunga tiaki in their rohe.

'It's very exciting news,” explains Sarah Wharekura, Te Hunga Tiaki Taiao – Environmental Officer for TALT.

'We are very grateful for the opportunity and can't wait to start using these funds to make a difference to our lakes and for our people.”

The grant will allow TALT to buy vital equipment such as a digital microscope to analyse algae and water samples, plus water quality, nitrogen and phosphorus meters and other sampling equipment.

'We have had limited access to these tools through our partnerships with other agencies such as Department of Conservation and Bay of Plenty Regional Council. However, this funding will give us the opportunity to use these tools full-time, build up our internal capacity to use these tools, and allow us to capture consistent data over time.”

Uwhi before the installation ceremony.

Water quality and pest monitoring will be done by selecting sites of cultural or ecological significance to Te Arawa in and around each lake.

Each site will be sampled regularly and data will be analysed and uploaded to a shared online database to keep track of progress.

Pest animals such as rats, possums, stoats and wallabies will be targeted, and aquatic and terrestrial pest plants will continue to be removed and wetlands restored, with the goal of creating 1000ha of wetlands over the next 10 years which will be maintained by mana whenua.

Sarah says one measure of success will be to see an increase in taonga species such as kākahi (freshwater mussels), kōura (freshwater crayfish), tuna (eels), morihana (goldfish), īnanga (whitebait) and kōaro. Woven harakeke flax mats (called uwhi), have been placed on the bottom of several lakes to suppress weeds, allowing kōura to forage for food more easily.

In terms of new boardwalks, TALT plan to build a variety of new tracks over time around several lake edges to provide safe walkways and bike paths for the public to enjoy.

Riparian restoration - planting.

Riparian restoration - after.

BayTrust CEO Alastair Rhodes says no-one cares more deeply about restoring the mauri (life force) of Rotorua's lakes than Te Arawa.

The ownership of 14 lake beds was vested to TALT in 2006 in recognition of the tribe's physical and spiritual connection to the lakes.

'A lot of great work has already been done and Te Arawa is providing employment, internships and training in biosecurity and conservation work for hapū members. BayTrust hopes this funding will allow TALT to gain further momentum on this journey and provide people with the necessary resourcing to increase capacity and look after these lakes within local hapū and whānau.”

The team at the MPI Bio Awards.