13 May 2026: lake weed modelling, fuel price impacts
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: LINZ lake weed modelling project
Enquiry
I am working on a story about the computer model Land Information New Zealand is investing in to help better understand lakeweed movements in Lake Rotorua and find more effective ways to manage it [Lake weed modelling to being in Lake Rotorua ]. I saw [Mayor] Tania Tapsell did a Facebook post on this and was hoping to get some further comment from her if possible.
I have put a few questions below:
- What impact do lakeweed washups have on the Rotorua community and visitors?
- What potential does this model have for reducing the frequency or severity of lakeweed washing up?
- If successful, what difference will it make towards tackling lakeweed issues in Lake Rotorua?
- Has there been any changes to LINZ funding for weed management since November?
- How much further external funding is needed?
Response
What impact do lakeweed washups have on the Rotorua community and visitors?
This lake weed is a pest species and shouldn't be in our lakes in the first place. Funding allocated to manage it hasn't been enough and we've clearly communicated this to Government. It then becomes an environmental disaster when it washes up because of how much there is, and when it decomposes it has a horrendous smell and sucks oxygen from the lake which is why we then see dead fish. We've put so much effort into creating a world-class lakefront and on any other day it's a stunning place, but this problem needs to be prevented urgently.
What potential does this model have for reducing the frequency or severity of lakeweed washing up?
The computer modelling LINZ is investing in will give valuable data to understand pest weed movement in Lake Rotorua to help deliver more effective ways to manage it.
If successful, what difference will it make towards tackling lakeweed issues in Lake Rotorua?
Managing pest species in our lakes is the role of BOP Regional Council and Government, but funding has been allocated based on where people swim or launch boats, which is why we've missed out on fair funding. There's a problem here and we can fix it together so I'm glad we'll soon have information from LINZ to identify where lake weed is so we can try to stop future issues.
Has there been any changes to LINZ funding for weed management since November?
Not yet, but I had a productive conversation with previous LINZ Minister Chris Penk and am actively seeking support to reduce, and hopefully eliminate, weed wash-ups for good.
How much further external funding is needed?
We’re working closely with the lakebed owners Te Arawa Lakes Trust and seeking to raise $200,000 between local and regional councils and other external funders. We would then seek match funding from Government for a total spray programme of $400,000. This would be focused on preventing future impacts, rather than just reacting to them, while we work with our partners to look for a longer-term solution.
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Media: NZME Business Desk
Topic: Fuel price impacts on council
Enquiry
I have a series of questions I’m asking councils around the country about the impact of fuel prices on capital projects and am hoping responses can be provided to the following:
1. Has your council experienced cost increases on construction, roading, transport or three-waters contracts that are attributed at all to elevated fuel and diesel prices over the past three months?
If so, what is the approximate scale of those increases, and which contracts or activities are most affected?
2. Has the council deferred, paused, scaled back or cancelled any planned construction or capital works projects in 2026, because of the fuel costs, or related supply-chain pressures?
If so, what projects and how have they changed?
3. Are any specific supply-chain delays (e.g. pipe, steel, bitumen) that the council attributes to the fuel-price environment or related global supply pressures?
4. Has the council received contractor requests for early fuel adjustment factors, contract variations, or relief? Could the scale of this please be quantified?
5. Does the council expect fuel-driven cost pressures to feed into the 2026/27 Annual Plan or rates settings? If so, how?
Response
From Rotorua Lakes Council Chief Executive Andrew Moraes:
We are closely monitoring the national fuel situation and at this stage, there are no service disruptions or supply issues affecting our critical operations.
The organisation has undertaken the usual reprioritisation of work programmes and projects that we do as part of annual planning. Our 2026/27 annual plan has already been adopted.
It’s possible we may need to adjust levels of service but critical services will continue at required levels and the aim is to remain within current budgets.
Current actions being undertaken by the organisation include monitoring of fuel expenditure, understanding the likely impacts on contracts, analysing supply chains and planning for subsequent phases if the country moved to those.
Analysis of activities and planning for all phases is underway across the organisation and supply levels of key products required for business operations is being monitored.
We’ve had no requests from contractors at this point in time.
The council has not experienced any supply change challenges to date in relation to critical supplies for current operations but we are having to delay the start of a new Food and Garden Organics kerbside collection due to supply issues (see more HERE).
We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure we are prepared for any potential changes, collecting relevant data we can act on.
