New Zealand's largest lake, Taupo-nui-a-tia, is a national treasure. Renowned worldwide for its deep blue waters, Lake Taupo lies at the heart of a tourism hub. But more than its economic value is the special significance it holds for many, particularly Ngati Tuwharetoa, the iwi with mana whenua in the Lake Taupo catchment.
Evidence shows, however, that Lake Taupo's excellent water quality is under threat from the effects of past and current land use activities. Development and intensification of rural and urban land has increased the amount of nitrogen entering the lake through groundwater and rivers, promoting the growth of algae and phytoplankton in the lake. Part of the solution to protecting the quality of Lake Taupo's water lies in reducing the amount of nitrogen leaching into the lake by 20 per cent. This is the aim of the Trust.
Over the next 10 years, the Lake Taupo Protection Trust will administer a public fund to encourage and assist land use change, purchase land or nitrogen in the Lake Taupo catchment and fund research and other initiatives that assist land owners to reduce the nitrogen impact of their activities on Lake Taupo.
The Trust
The Lake Taupo Protection Trust was set up in February 2007 to administer the $81.5 million fund to protect Lake Taupo's excellent water quality, which is under threat from the effects of past and current land use activities.
The Trust is charged with developing a programme of work that will reduce the amount of manageable nitrogen leaching into the lake by 20 per cent.
It will use the funds to encourage and assist land use change, to purchase land/nitrogen in the Lake Taupo catchment and to fund any other initiatives that assist land owner to reduce the nitrogen impact of their activities on Lake Taupo.
The Trust reports to the Government (MfE), Ngati Tuwharetoa, the Taupo District Council, and Waikato Regional Council.
You can download the Trust's Statement of Intent, Project Agreement and Trust Deed below in pdf format.
Statement of Intent (318 kb)
Project agreement (2.7 mb)
Trust deed (2.0 mb)
You can download a presentation about the Lake Taupo Protection Trust below. This is in pdf format. You can use your enter key to page through the pdf.
Presentation about the Lake Taupo Protection Trust (458.0 kb)
Trust Funding
Trust funding comes from the Ministry for the Environment (45%), Waikato Regional Council (33%) and the Taupo District Council (22%). This funding provides a total of $81 Million including GST over 15 years and will be reviewed after 5 years.
You can download the Trust's funding deed below in pdf format.
Funding deed (863.7 kb)
The Trust's Role
The Trust's role in protecting Lake Taupo is to:
- Reduce nitrogen discharge by a minimum amount of 20%
- Benchmark (with EW) nitrogen discharge allowances (NDAs)
- Purchase N (20 %)
- Provide advice on Trust activities
- Facilitate N reduction with land owners
- Support applied research to reduce N in the catchment
- Facilitate joint ventures or partnerships to achieve Trust objectives
- Source additional funding (Charitable Trust)
- Monitor and report on the Trust's performance.
More information of the Trust's Role
Chairman's Report and Financial Statements
You can now download the Chairman's report for the period 01 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 and the audited financial statement in pdf format below:
Chairman's report