Lake Puketirini

Lake Puketirini is a former opencast coal mine, immediately to the west of Huntly and east of the larger, but much shallower Lake Waahi, in the Waikato Region. It is circled by a walkway.

Lake Puketirini
formerly Lake Rotoiti
Lake Puketirini and Hakarimata Range
Lake Puketirini and Hakarimata Range.
The old railway station and diving school vessel are across the lake
Location of Lake Puketirini
Location of Lake Puketirini
Lake Puketirini
LocationNorth Island
Coordinates37.567°S 175.141°E / -37.567; 175.141
Typeformer opencast mine
Basin countriesNew Zealand
Max. length700 m (2,300 ft)
Surface area54 hectares (130 acres) (open water)
Max. depth64 metres (210 ft)
SettlementsHuntly

History
Site of Lake Puketirini (centre), with Cobham Cres (bottom right) being completed in 1959

The area was initially known as Puketirini, which included Lake Rotoiti,[1] which was shown on maps until 1949,[2] though a 1944 map showed it as Westmere and drained.[3] The west shaft of Ralph Mine was at Puketirini and used for rescue after the 1914 explosion.[4] The site was identified as a potential coal mine in 1929 and land was bought by the government between 1940 and 1980.[1]

Mining began on part of the site in 1954,[5] or 1956. The initial mining used small excavators.[6] From 1984 the mine was extended to the north.[7] It was transferred to the Coal Corporation in 1986 and Weavers opencast coal mine excavated the area until 1993, using a bucketwheel excavator and conveyor belt to dig out 16,000,000 m3 (21,000,000 cu yd) of overburden and 2,300,000 t (2,500,000 tons) of coal, mostly for Glenbrook steelworks.[7] Much of the area around the lake is unconsolidated overburden.[8]

The shoreline was shaped by 1999 and the lake was full by 2005.[1] In December 2006, Waikato District Council acquired[1] part of the site for recreational use[8] from Solid Energy.[1]

Pollution

A 2006 study found the lake was mesotrophic and that koi carp were present.[9]

Coalfields Museum
Huntly railway station, moved to Lake Puketirini in 2008. It is surrounded by a security fence

A 1978 map shows a siding from the Glen Afton branch had been laid.[10] It was on that alignment that, in 2008, the 1939 Huntly railway station was moved, as part of plans to put the Waikato Coalfields Museum beside the lake.[11] In 2017 the museum was further discussed[12] and moved to the centre of Huntly.[13]

Diving School

In 2000 the New Zealand School of Commercial Diver Training opened.[6] It now operates as the Subsea Training Centre.[14]

References
  1. "Puketirini MANAGEMENT PLAN" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 2009.
  2. "Sheet: 1". www.mapspast.org.nz. 1949. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  3. "Sheet: N56". www.mapspast.org.nz. 1944. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  4. "Waikato Coalfields Museum". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  5. "Weavers Coal Mine (Lake Puketirini), Huntly, Waikato District, Waikato Region, New Zealand". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  6. "Waikato Coalfields Museum Educational Resource – Teacher's Unit" (PDF).
  7. Wezenberg, Udo (1988). "An engineering geological investigation of batter stability, Weavers opencast coal mine, Huntly" (PDF). University of Canterbury.
  8. "Solid Energy Lake Puketirini Rezoning" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 7 June 2017.
  9. "Lake Puketirini". LERNZ - Lake Ecosystem Research New Zealand. Retrieved 2020-07-23.
  10. "Sheet: N56". www.mapspast.org.nz. 1978. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  11. "Old station in new life at lake". Stuff.co.nz. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2017.
  12. "Agenda for an extraordinary meeting" (PDF). Waikato District Council. 29 March 2017.
  13. "At the Museum". Waikato Coalfields Museum. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
  14. "About Us". Subsea Training Centre. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
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