Economic Development Taupo District (Taupo, Turangi, Mangakino),
New Zealand. Business & Investment Opportunities.
Education. Clean Energy. Wood Processing. Agriculture & Horticulture.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Tourism.

Central North Island Lakes Land Use Summit 2006
The Great Lake Centre, Taupo, Wednesday 26 July 2006

The Lake Taupo Development Company and Destination Rotorua Economic Development, in association with Trade and Enterprise NZ, are conducting a Land Use Summit to explore options available to land owners and managers in maximising their financial returns in an increasingly sensitive and more stringent environmental era.

At the summit we intend to profile new developments in the Agriculture, Horticulture and Forestry sectors and currently available options within these disciplines for land managers to consider as options for land use change and/or diversification. We will hear about developments in Biomaterials, an exiting area of research that is exploring ways of tapping into the vast chemical resources in plant cells and wood.

We will be profiling both Tourism and Residential Development as options, looking at the opportunities they present for consideration.

The need to innovate and closely study current operations to meet the growing demands for a more environmentally friendly and financially successful land use practices will also be highlighted and explored.

The Summit will also explore the impediments to change, including the difficulties associated with taking good ideas and sound research through to commercial viability and success. This session will give participants the opportunity to contribute and present their concerns and ideas on this aspect of innovation and land use change/diversification.

Trade and research organisations will be in attendance displaying and explaining their products and services as will key regulators.

The Land Use Summit - be there and;

Hear about:

• Innovative solutions to successfully use land in an increasingly more stringent environmental and competitive environment.
• The options, opportunities and research in the areas of Agriculture, Horticulture, Forestry, Biomaterials, Tourism and Residential development.
• The issues Land Trusts, Owners and Managers face where land sale is not an option.
• Success stories in innovation and commercialisation.
• Alternative approaches to reducing lake water nutrients

Explore

• The impediments to change and the options and opportunities available to overcome them.
• The difficulties associated with commercialisation of research outcomes.
• What opportunities may come from the requirements to reduce nutrients in the Central North Island Lakes.

Network

• Network with others involved in land governance, land use innovation, research and management.

Discuss

• Options with practitioners and researchers

An opportunity to make more money off your land AND improve Central North Island’s Lake water quality to levels far exceeding expectations through innovation and economic drivers as opposed to regulation

Click here to register for Land Use Summit 2006

Land Use Study - 2003 - Copies available

The Taupo Land Use Study set out to identify commercially viable and environmentally sustainable land uses that would provide alternatives to pastoral farming. Since land use change on a significant scale is required in order to reduce nitrogen leaching into Lake Taupo, we focused on crops that could utilise 100 hectares or more (though smaller scale crop opportunities are also identified). All potential crops were screened against the climatic, topographic and soil conditions found in our district, and also against market demand and market trends.

Excerpts from the study follow:

Executive Summary (Land Use Study booklet) 

The key objective of the Land Use Study was to provide realistic ideas to land owners that will reduce nitrogen flows into Lake Taupo while maintaining or improving economic performance and viability in the District. New agricultural systems have real potential to reduce nitrogen flows, while maintaining the farming industry in the district. Farmers have the opportunity to adjust their management systems to reduce nitrogen flows. Systems are still being evaluated by Agresearch and Dexcel on Puketapu Station, so farmers through Taupo Lake Care should concentrate on these studies and results. Horticultural crops, especially berries, can grow in Taupo District. Yet there are only three that have significant opportunity to achieve scale. Others are included in the report, but in most cases growers will have to consider further processing and niche marketing to achieve realistic business opportunities. Forestry has the potential to provide alternatives to pastoral land use. Several crops besides Radiata pine are considered to have potential in the catchment. Alternatives to Radiata pine have more stringent site requirements, and these have been mapped. The study by Lake Taupo Development Company has also identified geothermally heated greenhouses, organics, aquaculture, and nutraceuticals, as areas with economic potential for our district. 

Conclusions (Land Use Study booklet) 

1. Lake Taupo's water quality is impacted by leaching from current land use. 
2. Studies have determined that land use change is required to help reduce leaching. 
3. Changes to farm systems can help to alleviate leaching. These changes include: 

•  Forage grown for sale off-farm

•  Changing winter grazing management 

• Animal species balance 

• Soil Amendments 

4. Horticulture offers opportunity to diversify land use: 

• Lucerne and blueberries may be grown on a scale over 100ha. 

• Several crops can be grown on a smaller scale 

• Horticultural crops offer opportunity for processing and marketing to niche markets. 

5. Several emerging uses have been identified for further investigation:

• Geothermally heated greenhouses could have a significant impact on the local economy. 

• Organic farming and horticulture is a high value niche. 

• There are significant opportunities to derive value from our native flora and fauna. 

• Nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical crops are a growing market that offer potential for Taupo. One potential pharmaceutical crop, yew trees that produce a cancer treatment known as taxol, is presented. 

6. Forest crops have been identified that should grow well in parts of the district. 
7. Diversifying land use will add to the economic well being of the Taupo District. 

Over 26 alternative land use crops were identified in the study with an analysis conducted for each. This included a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats), cost benefit analysis, a crop management segment and a brief overview of the possible markets. 

Example crops: 

Blueberries 

Summary: Berry crops have proven to grow effectively in the Taupo District. Pests can be controlled, with the cool winter providing some competitive advantage over warmer sites. With good market awareness, it is expected that Taupo could produce good crops of this valuable fruit. 

Edible fungi 

Summary: Edible fungi are a high value, internationally recognised crop that are beginning to be supplied from New Zealand. Taupo District's cool winters actually provide competitive advantage for several fungi including peregon black truffles. Suitable skill acquisition and crop management will allow the potential of these crops to be unleashed. 

Redwood 

Market Opportunities: In contrast to most other 'alternative species' a strong market for redwood timber already exists. Redwood timber products grown in New Zealand have been sent to the US market and are considered equivalent to lumber from Californian second growth stands, which is now the only realistic source for local supply. 
Natural durability is a key marketing advantage for redwood. This reduces the requirement for timber preservation using chemicals. 

Geothermal 

Opportunities Summary: Greenhouse operations have real potential to provide quality produce for various export markets, while leveraging off geothermal heat and Taupo's location. Operations such as vegetable and flower production could have significant impact on the economy. 

For more information, or if you want a copy of the study ($25 each) , phone us on 07 376 7100.