Lake weed clean-up follows storm

Council staff and contractors are still hard at work cleaning up after last week’s storm which washed a large amount of lake weed onto Lake Rotorua shores.

It is the biggest clean-up of lake weed following stormy weather in about five years and the removal work is expected to take up to another two weeks.

Large amounts of lake weed washed up at the lakefront reserve, Ohinemutu, Kawaha Point and Ngongotaha and contractors and Castlecorp staff worked through Easter on the clean-up, which is continuing.

The priority has been to clear all public boat ramps, the lakefront, Ngongotaha lakefront reserves, Kawaha Point reserves and road ends and Ohinemutu where the focus has been on the area around St Faith’s Church where Anzac services will be held.

The clean-up could cost up to $80,000, more than initially expected and due largely to difficulties at Ohinemutu where the soft lakebed and ground conditions are making it harder to get to the lake weed.

Three contractors with equipment needed to remove the weed plus staff from Castlecorp have been working non-stop.

The lake weed is dumped after removal and decomposes naturally.

[ENDS]

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