1,000 signatures reached
To: Te Arawa Lakes Trust
Fight for Te Rotorua nui a Kahumatamomoe (Lake Rotorua)
We urge Te Arawa Lakes Trust, as the owner of the bed of Te Rotorua nui a Kahumatamomoe (Lake Rotorua), to do everything it can to stop Rotorua Lakes Council from discharging 20 million litres of treated sewage into the lake everyday for the next 30 years, by:
1. Taking legal action to stop the discharge (this includes filing an appeal if the Environment Court approves the discharge and if the appeal does not work then exercising their rights in the High Court)
2. Push for a new law so Lake Rotorua is given the same rights as a person
Note: TALT has written a submission opposing the discharge, however, it has now engaged a Māori environmental management expert from Ngāti Tuwharetoa to encourage hapū around the lake, who are opposed to the discharge, to develop mitigation plans before this matter is heard by the Environment Court, which is likely to be in 2020. We believe it is way too early to start mitigating and compromising and that TALT must first exhaust all other options (High Court litigation and new legislation).
1. Taking legal action to stop the discharge (this includes filing an appeal if the Environment Court approves the discharge and if the appeal does not work then exercising their rights in the High Court)
2. Push for a new law so Lake Rotorua is given the same rights as a person
Note: TALT has written a submission opposing the discharge, however, it has now engaged a Māori environmental management expert from Ngāti Tuwharetoa to encourage hapū around the lake, who are opposed to the discharge, to develop mitigation plans before this matter is heard by the Environment Court, which is likely to be in 2020. We believe it is way too early to start mitigating and compromising and that TALT must first exhaust all other options (High Court litigation and new legislation).
Why is this important?
* Lake Rotorua is a taonga as are all the waterways connected to it #TAONGAnotTOILET
* Many communities and families still source food from the lake
* Serious contaminants will still exist in the treated sewage when it is discharged into the stream that flows into the lake
* No lake in Rotorua will be safe if this discharge happens
* We must leave a legacy of clean water and air for our mokopuna, Rotorua and Aotearoa
* Getting the lake the same legal recognition as a person, will make it more difficult for groups to purposely pollute and disrespect it
Te Arawa Lakes Trust says no to treated wastewater in Lake Rotorua, NZ Herald, 4 Dec 2018 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12170331
* Many communities and families still source food from the lake
* Serious contaminants will still exist in the treated sewage when it is discharged into the stream that flows into the lake
* No lake in Rotorua will be safe if this discharge happens
* We must leave a legacy of clean water and air for our mokopuna, Rotorua and Aotearoa
* Getting the lake the same legal recognition as a person, will make it more difficult for groups to purposely pollute and disrespect it
Te Arawa Lakes Trust says no to treated wastewater in Lake Rotorua, NZ Herald, 4 Dec 2018 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12170331