Nick Chapman (right) from Aquaponics NZ and Sarah Cunnington from the National Trout Centre in Tūrangi with the vertical planter from the newly unveiled aquaponics system.
Nick Chapman (right) from Aquaponics NZ and Sarah Cunnington from the National Trout Centre in Tūrangi with the vertical planter from the newly unveiled aquaponics system.
A high-tech new growing system has been officially unveiled in Tūrangi this week, and its owners plan to supply locals with fresh, healthy food.
The aquaponics system at the Tongariro National Trout Centre has been installed as an educational tool to teach the community about topics ranging from sustainability to life cycles.
The set-up has plenty of other benefits, including cleaning the water used in the fish tanks and being used to grow produce.
Aquaponics is a mixture of aquaculture and hydroponics.
With thousands of fish on-site, the aquaculture element was already well-established at the centre, which was looking for ways to increase its educational opportunities, and its sustainability.
When representatives from local hapū Tūrangitukua suggested aquaponics, a system they had learned about from visiting US-based academics, the centre got planning with a New Zealand-based company, Aquaponics New Zealand.
The recently-completed system was already getting lots of use.
This week, the centre held its first aquaponics workshop, teaching members of the public how to plan and maintain systems in different settings.
The centre has also hosted 250 students in Years 5-8 over two days as part of the Waikato Enviroschools programme.
Students learned about topics from freshwater pests to litter in waterways, and the benefits of aquaponics, as part of a World Water Day programme.
The aquaponics system begins with an aquarium tank, which is currently serving as a nursery for young rainbow trout, along with several kōura/crayfish.
The fish create waste that needs to be cleaned out of the fish tank but was also rich in nutrients that plants can use to grow.
The wastewater is passed through filters to remove solid particles and break them down into usable nutrients for the plants.
During this process, even potentially harmful chemicals such as ammonia can be broken down into useful ones like nitrogen.
The Trout Centre's aquaponics system filters aquarium water and can be used to grow produce.
Finally, the water flows into the growing system. Three types are on display at the Trout Centre, including a vertical growing tower.
The leftover water from growing was clean enough to be put back into the fish tanks, creating what Aquaponics NZ’s Nick Chapman described as a “circular economy”.
“[It’s] taking waste from one thing and turning it into something beneficial for something else.”
Tongariro National Trout Centre manager Bevin Severinsen said the official opening of the facility was the culmination of a lot of teamwork between the centre and Aquaponics New Zealand, as well as their partners, including the Department of Conservation, Taupō District Council and Pelorus Trust.
