A Bay of Plenty lakeside community is waging a battle against pollution this week, turning their two lakes into shining examples of conservation and collective action, as part of Keep New Zealand Beautiful Week.

Divers from Rotorua and Tauranga are joining the volunteers and residents who have been engaging in three clean-ups at Lake Rotoma and Lake Rotoehu.

The clean-ups, which started on Sunday, September 17, followed a Frock Swap at Lake Rotoma School on Saturday – another reminder of the amount of textiles that can end up in landfill.

Dive Aotearoa from Rotorua did a lakebed clean-up at Lake Rotoma on Sunday, with Dive Zone Tauranga set to dive into a clean-up during the week.

“Dive Zone Tauranga will be lake bed cleaning today [Tuesday, September 19],” says local resident Jonette Meads.

Divers from Aotearoa Dive at Lake Rotoma on Sunday. Photo: Supplied.

Every year the two dive teams from Aotearoa Dive and Dive Zone Tauranga regularly come out with their dive students, and give back.

“They take bags, dive into the water, and pull out any rubbish they find on the lake bed," says Jonette.

“They will feel the fear/cold and do it anyway.

“Dive Zone Tauranga will be cleaning the lake bed at Matahi submerged boat ramp and playground areas from around 10am, Tuesday, September 19, and possible the same at Otangiwao Point [also known as Letterbox Point].

“We’ll be squeaky clean by the end of the week."

John Glasse and his daughter Samantha cleaning at the Lake Rotoma lakeside. Photo:Supplied.

On Sunday, 45 volunteers turned up for the Lake Rotoma clean-up, including the Aotearoa Dive Team.

“We collected 160kgs of rubbish from Lake Rotoma. That was from 30 land volunteers, and 15 divers in the lake," says Jonette.

"Aotearoa Dive from Rotorua hauled up 25kg of rubbish when they cleaned the lake bed at Otangiwao Point, Lake Rotoma."

Lake Rotoma clean-up coordinator Joanne Rees says 30 land volunteers is about 10 per cent of the resident’s population.

“So, given many homes at Rotoma are holiday dwellings, that's about right for volunteer numbers,” says Joanne.  

Rubbish collected at Lake Rotoma. Photo: Supplied.

Jonette says it was a slightly smaller haul than last year’s clean-up effort.

“All the usual culprits like old tyres and even half a dinghy that was broken up by rain storms.

“It was dreadful to find a vacuum cleaner in Lake Rotoma.”

Jonette says the edge of Lake Rotoma is now very close to the road following the rising lake levels this past year.

“So the dinghy was forced up onto the lake edge that's rocky in parts.”

Some of the haul of rubbish from Lake Rotoehu on Sunday. Photo: Julie Riggir.

At Lake Rotoehu, another clean-up was also held on Sunday afternoon, run by Julie Riggir, up the Pongakawa Valley Road.

The local Lake Rotoma Rotoehu Community Association provided spot prizes during the two clean-ups.

“Lake Rotoehu are going to continue with a clean-up through the week,” says Jonette.

Some of the clean up volunteers at Lake Rotoehu. Photo: Julie Riggir.

Some of the clean up volunteers at Lake Rotoehu. Photo: Julie Riggir.

Jonette says the two lakes are cut off from each other at the moment due to the road connecting them being flooded from the rising lake levels. Students from Rotuehu attending Rotoma School are no longer able to drive through with their parents.

“We have students from Kawerau, Rotoiti and Rotuehu, but Rotuehu can’t get through, so five kids have their parents drop them off at a closed road barrier and they walk knee deep about 120 metres through the flooded road water the rest of the way to Lake Rotoma School.

“They are resilient kids, and someone sponsored them gumboots to get to school.”

She says one family moved to Rotoma.

“One of the staff members navigates through the water to get to school each day. They live in Rotoehu, and walks through lakeswater as well to get to work.”

Some of the clean up volunteers at Lake Rotoehu. Photo: Julie Riggir.

Pam Lang from the Lake Rotoma-Rotoehu Community Committee is pleased with the turn out, effort and participation on Sunday.

"We're always happy to see our accompanied children on these clean ups so we keep their families close to safe clean up locations around the lake,” says Pam.

“It was a beautiful day for beautiful Lake Rotoma to help Keep New Zealand Beautiful,” says Pam.

Pam Lang and Joanne Rees enjoying their cleaner lake environment on Sunday. Photo: Supplied.