14 Nov 2025: lake weed stranding

Media: Local Democracy Reporter

Topic: Lake weed stranding at lakefront

Enquiry

*NOTE: reporter also requested information from BOP Regional Council

We were looking to get an update on the lakeweed clean-up at the waterfront if possible today.

Few questions below:

- Firstly, who is responsible for the clean-up, is it RLC, BOPRC or a combination of both?

- What caused the lakeweed?

- How is council cleaning up? And is this council staff doing the work of contractors?

- When can we hope for it to be clear?

- Is there anyway of preventing it?

Final question, only if possible today.

- What is the estimated cost of this type of clean-up?

Response

RLC provided the following information:

From Rotorua Lakes Council Parks and Open Spaces Manager Rob Pitkethley:

Our staff are collaborating with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Te Arawa Lakes Trust on a coordinated weed clearance plan.

Our council’s responsibility is the disposal of the lake weed once it has been removed from the water.

Contractors will take the weed to an area at Motutara Point from where it will be picked up by EcoGas and trucked to their facilities for use in energy generation.

It’s not possible to estimate the cost at this stage as it depends on the volume of weed that needs to be disposed of.

BOPRC provided the following information:

From Bay of Plenty Regional Council Lakes Operations Officer, Justine Randell:

Firstly, who is responsible for the clean-up, is it RLC, BOPRC or a combination of both?

Bay of Plenty Regional Council is responsible for extracting the washed up weed from the waterbody and manage biosecurity consents.

RLC own the public reserve and handle the land disposal.

What caused the lakeweed?

Following the strong north-westerly winds experienced in Rotorua on Wednesday 13 November, a significant volume of weed has washed up on the Lake Rotorua lakefront.

How is council cleaning up? And is this council staff doing the work of contractors?

Bay of Plenty Regional Council Lakes Operations staff are already in the process of organising to use its weed harvester  to remove the washed up weed along the lakefront and are working jointly with Rotorua Lakes Council on the subsequent transportation and disposal.

When can we hope for it to be clear?

The clean-up process, subject to weather, has started today (Friday 14 November) and is expected to take up to 10 days.

Is there any way of preventing it?

From Bay of Plenty Regional Council Biosecurity Officer, Te Wakaunua Te Kurapa:

We will continue to experience lakeweed wash up after severe weather events.

The public are not advised to place lake weed in general refuse wheelie bins or garden waste bins as this is a pest species and must be handled and transported correctly.

The best option for people who come across the weed on the foreshore right now is to push it back into the water where it can break down naturally.

Under the Bay of Plenty Regional Pest Management Plan people aren’t allowed to remove the weed therefore taking the weed home for composting is not recommended.

Private lakefront property owners who want to remove the weed from their properties can contact Te Arawa Lakes Trust to arrange for weed removal at their own cost. Alternatively, they can refloat the lake weed in favourable, ideally southerly, wind conditions.

What is the estimated cost of this type of clean-up?

BOPRC covers the cost of the weed harvester, which for these types of operations can be up to $50,000. We won’t be able to confirm figures until the operation concludes.

RLC covers the disposal costs.