Lake Rotokākahi: Rotorua council broke law over Tarawera sewerage scheme, High Court rules

Mathew NashLocal Democracy Reporter, Rotorua·Rotorua Daily Post·17 Aug, 2026 05:39 AM5 mins to read‌Supporters protest outside the Rotorua courthouse on December 2.Supporters protest outside the Rotorua courthouse on December 2.Rotorua Lakes Council’s approval of a sewerage scheme that routed a pipeline past the culturally significant Lake Rotokākahi without properly engaging the lake’s governing body broke the law, the High Court has ruled. Justice Kiri Tahana declared both the council’s 2020 decision to proceed with the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme and