Geothermal Areas and Whakarewarewa

Forest and Bird, Volume 20, Issue 3, 1 August 1989, Page 28

Geothermal Areas and Whakarewarewa

Somewhat less successful so far has been the campaign to save New Zealand's remaining surface geothermal areas, in particular the last of our geysers. Slight modification of a geyser’s vent or of ground water levels can be sufficient to cause its extinction. Thus geyser systems are fragile and unfortunately now also rare and precious. They occur in only seven countries worldwide and are easily accessible only in New Zealand, Iceland and the United States. Indeed, New Zealand's geysers, rivalled only by those at Yellowstone in the USA, are the most impressive in the southern hemisphere. Last century there were over 130 geysers regularly active in five major geothermal fields in the Rotorua-Taupo area. One field was buried by the Tarawera eruption; Orakeikorako was drowned by damming the Waikato River; Wairakei and Spa fields have been destroyed by geothermal electricity projects and now at Whakarewarewa many geysers have ceased because of extraction of groundwater by Rotorua city bore users. Today, fewer than 15 of the original 130 geysers remain active — eight are at Whaka. Ten years ago the Geological Society prepared an assessment of the remaining values of the 88 geothermal surface fields in New Zealand. The re-

sulting Nature Conservation Council report recommended complete protection of Whakarewarewa, Waimangu, Ketetahi and White Island fields and

the deferral of any exploitation of seven others which had significant discharge features, such as mud pools, fumaroles and hot springs. Since then the Geological Society, Environmental Defence Society and others have waged a long, arduous but consistent campaign to have Waimangu and Whakarewarewa features protected by a complete ban on extraction of the underground resource. At long last the Government has recognised the international values of Whakarewarewa with the implementation of its bore closure policy last year. Whaka has responded and appears to be temporarily saved at least, although many of the citizens and local politicians of Rotorua appear determined to see its demise. Many bore owners are circumventing the intention of the closedown by sinking shallower bores and extracting nominally cooler groundwater. Rotorua Hospital has once again turned on its bores to supply free heating, undoubtedly at the expense of the rejuvenating activity in Kuirau Park across the road. If New Zealand's last geyser field is to be saved, then the people of Rotorua will have to pay to heat their homes, motels and spa pools in place of their previous free geothermal supply, but in the long term Rotorua and New Zealand will be the winners from it.