Louise Upston

15 FEBRUARY, 2016

Weed control underway at Lake Karapiro

New Zealand’s Olympic rowing hopefuls can rest assured that aquatic weed will not interfere with their training at Lake Karapiro thanks to control work that began this morning, Land Information Minister Louise Upston said today.

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has begun spraying weed at the Mighty River Domain and will target upstream sites over the next fortnight.

“Our rowers must be free to train at Lake Karapiro without interference if they’re to lead the charge for gold at the Rio Olympics,” Ms Upston says.

“On top of that, the lake is used daily by the local community and hosts a wide range of local and national events – such as next week’s National Rowing Championships.

“That’s why it’s absolutely essential that this iconic lake is kept free of hornwort and other aquatic weeds.”

LINZ will treat around 18ha of the lake after it was found that the hornwort build-up is not as extensive as first thought.

Work will be carried out between the Lake Karapiro Power Station and the Maungatautari road bridge until 12 February. Work will then shift to sites further upstream.

The work is being jointly funded by LINZ, the Waikato Regional Council and the Waipa District Council. These groups have also been working closely with Mighty River Power on a long-term weed management plan for the lake.

“Lake Karapiro is one of the country’s premier sporting venues. Event organisers and the local community can be confident that LINZ will ensure it stays that way,” Ms Upston says.

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