Kaituna River
Encyclopedia
The Kaituna River is located in the Bay of Plenty
region of the North Island
of New Zealand
. It is the outflow from Lakes Rotorua
and Rotoiti
, and flows northwards for 45 kilometres, emptying into the Bay of Plenty
near Te Puke
. It was the subject of a claim concerning the effluent flowing down the river from Lake Rotorua, which resulted in movement to a land treatment system.
The upper section of the Kaituna offers some of the best white-water kayaking and rafting in the world, with Okere Falls
containing the highest commercially rafted waterfall (7 meters) in the world. It is also famous for its trout fishing.
under heavy nutrient loadings, leading the Ministry of Works
to propose diverting some sewage
flow into the Kaituna River. Local iwi
objected however, and filed a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal
. Their objections included the insult to other iwi (leading to loss of mana
) and destruction of the rivers mauri (life force or essence) which they believed would destroy its ability to sustain aquatic life. The Ministry of Works report however stated that the mauri concept was essentially religious
in nature and not scientifically verifiable, while on the other hand diluting the waste would help prevent excess pollution and keep costs at a reasonable level. In Māori culture
religion
and science
are not treated separately as they tend to be in Western culture.
In 1990 however, the Rotorua Land Treatment Scheme saw an upgrade to treatment facilities to remove 80% of nitrogen
and phosphorus
from the effluent, and land application to reduce eutrophication and satisfy Māori cultural wishes. This has led to better environmental, economic and cultural outcomes for all parties.
Currently there is a consultation regarding the installation of a new 13.5 MW hydro electric power dam below the river at the end of Trout Pool Road; this will involve the creation of a man made dam and the flooding of some land and destroying a section of river known as "Awesome Gorge" and leaving the section known as "Gnarly Gorge" with a highly reduced flow; kayaking and rafting groups and local iwi have raised objections.
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
region of the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It is the outflow from Lakes Rotorua
Lake Rotorua
Lake Rotorua is the second largest lake in the North Island of New Zealand by surface area, and covers 79.8km2. With a mean depth of only 10 metres it is considerably smaller than nearby Lake Tarawera in terms of volume of water. It is located in the Bay of Plenty region...
and Rotoiti
Lake Rotoiti, Bay of Plenty
Lake Rotoiti is a lake in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is the northwesternmost in a chain of lakes formed within the Okataina caldera. The lake is close to the northern shore of its more famous neighbour, Lake Rotorua, and is connected to it via the Ohau Channel. It drains to the...
, and flows northwards for 45 kilometres, emptying into the Bay of Plenty
Bay of Plenty
The Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
near Te Puke
Te Puke
Te Puke is a town located 28 kilometres southeast of Tauranga in the Western Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. It is particularly famous for the cultivation of kiwifruit...
. It was the subject of a claim concerning the effluent flowing down the river from Lake Rotorua, which resulted in movement to a land treatment system.
The upper section of the Kaituna offers some of the best white-water kayaking and rafting in the world, with Okere Falls
Okere Falls
Okere Falls is a small town located 21 km from Rotorua on SH 33 between Rotorua and Tauranga on the North Island of New Zealand. The town is a popular spot for fishing & rafting and is known for its beautiful lakeside and waterfalls. There are commercial rafting companies and holiday park...
containing the highest commercially rafted waterfall (7 meters) in the world. It is also famous for its trout fishing.
Kaituna River claim
During the 1970s Lake Rotorua was becoming eutrophicEutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
under heavy nutrient loadings, leading the Ministry of Works
New Zealand Ministry of Works
The New Zealand Ministry of Works, formerly the Department of Public Works and sometimes referred to as the Public Works Department or PWD, was founded in 1876 and disestablished and privatised in 1988...
to propose diverting some sewage
Sewage
Sewage is water-carried waste, in solution or suspension, that is intended to be removed from a community. Also known as wastewater, it is more than 99% water and is characterized by volume or rate of flow, physical condition, chemical constituents and the bacteriological organisms that it contains...
flow into the Kaituna River. Local iwi
Iwi
In New Zealand society, iwi form the largest everyday social units in Māori culture. The word iwi means "'peoples' or 'nations'. In "the work of European writers which treat iwi and hapū as parts of a hierarchical structure", it has been used to mean "tribe" , or confederation of tribes,...
objected however, and filed a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal
Waitangi Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal is a New Zealand permanent commission of inquiry established under the Treaty of Waitangi Act 1975...
. Their objections included the insult to other iwi (leading to loss of mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
) and destruction of the rivers mauri (life force or essence) which they believed would destroy its ability to sustain aquatic life. The Ministry of Works report however stated that the mauri concept was essentially religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
in nature and not scientifically verifiable, while on the other hand diluting the waste would help prevent excess pollution and keep costs at a reasonable level. In Māori culture
Maori culture
Māori culture is the culture of the Māori of New Zealand, an Eastern Polynesian people, and forms a distinctive part of New Zealand culture. Within the Māori community, and to a lesser extent throughout New Zealand as a whole, the word Māoritanga is often used as an approximate synonym for Māori...
religion
Maori religion
Māori religion is the religious beliefs and practice of the Māori, the Polynesian indigenous people of New Zealand.-Traditional Māori religion:...
and science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
are not treated separately as they tend to be in Western culture.
In 1990 however, the Rotorua Land Treatment Scheme saw an upgrade to treatment facilities to remove 80% of nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
and phosphorus
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. A multivalent nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus as a mineral is almost always present in its maximally oxidized state, as inorganic phosphate rocks...
from the effluent, and land application to reduce eutrophication and satisfy Māori cultural wishes. This has led to better environmental, economic and cultural outcomes for all parties.
Power Generation
The upper reaches of the Kaituna river was the site of a small power station which was in operation from 1901 to 1936, the first generating plant built by the New Zealand government. Several proposals for a larger power station have been considered, however the high cost of these projects has ment that none have been built to date.Currently there is a consultation regarding the installation of a new 13.5 MW hydro electric power dam below the river at the end of Trout Pool Road; this will involve the creation of a man made dam and the flooding of some land and destroying a section of river known as "Awesome Gorge" and leaving the section known as "Gnarly Gorge" with a highly reduced flow; kayaking and rafting groups and local iwi have raised objections.