1.2 How was the Plan developed?

1.2How was the Plan developed?

In order to develop the 2020 TAP, the project was split into three strands: iwi, community and science, with coordinators managing outputs from each. During the first two years of the project, a number of key publications were written out of each strand. A full list of these publications can be found in the back of this document and can be downloaded from the 2020 Website www.taupoinfo.org.nz The 2020 TAP is based on the best information and knowledge available and we have used this to set priorities for actions. Publications such as the 2020 Information Reviews, Policy Review (Britton, 2004) and the Environmental Iwi Management Plan (Nepia, 2003) were all produced so that the project team could work toward analysing the priorioties for actions to protect Lake Tauponui-a-Tia.

The best science and knowledge from Crown Research Institutes such as the National Institute of Water and Atmosphere, and the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences also supported the project. Experts analysed the threats to the values and the Lake, as well as looking into health, economic and quality of life issues.

An important task in developing the 2020 TAP was identifying the key issues, threats and risks to the community values. It was at this stage that the integration of the three work strands began. The full list of threats (over 130) were grouped into six categories, depending on their nature and effects (Table 1). Comparative risk assessments were completed for four groups of threats: ecological (Huser et al., 2002), health (McBride, 2003), iwi (Nepia, 2004) and quality of life (Stewart, 2004). The comparative risk assessments identified and prioritised risks or threats to the Lake, so that effective and timely actions to protect the Lake could be agreed.

To set priorities for the 2020 TAP, experts assessed the relative severity of the threats and ranked these in order of importance. Table 1 summarises the priority threats to the community values identified by the expert groups.

Table 1 Priority threats to the 2020 community values

Ecosystem health Water pollution through: • Nutrient enrichment from farming (run-off into the Lake) • Sediment loading (ash) from large volcanic eruption • Nutrient enrichment from sewage • Loss of habitat and desirable species • Animal and plant pests threaten native vegetation and desirable fish species (competition) • Introducing new species affects ecological processes such as food web and distribution of species • Nutrient enrichment causes reduction in trout growth and numbers.

Human health Bacteria and other disease-causing organisms in: • roof tank water - deposited by birds and possums • Lake water - from wildfowl, septic tanks, pipe failure and stormwater • groundwater - from surface leakage (inadequate wellhead protection) • Lake water - from boat sewage discharge Beach litter: • Nails and glass shards - causing wound infection Toxic algal blooms in: • Lake water - impairing drinking-water quality at source Chemicals in: • groundwater - chemical contamination (Arsenic, Boron, Molybdesum) for susceptible people • roof drinking - water, spray-drift contamination for general population • groundwater - elevated nitrates impairing health of the very young.