10 May 2007

Introducing the Lake Taupo Protection Trust

The Lake Taupo Protection Trust is looking forward to meeting with landowners in the Taupo catchment, says chairman John Kneebone.

While individual trustees have already had a few informal meetings with individual Taupo Lake Care members, the trust is looking forward to a more formal meeting within the next three months.

"We are keenly aware of the significant impact the new rules will have on rural land owners in the Taupo catchment and the uncertainty many are feeling," John says. "It's worth noting the trust is also operating with a degree of uncertainty as we await the outcome of the appeals process."

Four parties have appealed the regional council's decision introducing new land rules that cap the amount of nitrogen leaching from rural and urban properties into Lake Taupo. The appeals process is expected to take some 18 months.
Despite this, the trust expects to initiate some of the activities it considers essential to achieving its aim of reducing nitrogen emissions to Lake Taupo. These include investigating and commissioning research into new technology to reduce nitrogen-leaching and working with farmers on benchmarking of nitrogen discharges from land in the catchment and management strategies to reduce nitrogen.

The trust currently has $5 million available to it, with the balance of the total $81.5 million public fund being paid to it over the 15-year life of the project.

For more information contact:
John Kneebone
Chairman
Lake Taupo Protection Trust