Two young Rotorua students questioning Bay of Plenty Regional Council's decision to build a proposed multi-million dollar diversion wall in Lake Rotoiti have been titled overall winners of the NIWA Bay of Plenty Regional Science and Technology Fair 2013.

Rotorua students Robin Basra and Sam Kelly are overall winners of the NIWA Bay of Plenty Regional Science and Technology Fair. Photos: Supplied.

Budding scientists across the Bay of Plenty showcased their work in Rotorua last week at the annual NIWA BOP Regional Science and Technology Fair.

More than 170 projects from Year 7-13 students entered the competition from 19 schools across the region.

John Paul College students Sam Kelly and Robin Basra won the NIWA premier award for their project '10 Million, Well Spent?' which tested the effect of the Ohau Channel diversion on Lake Rotoiti.

According to the Bay of Plenty Regional Council website, the council was granted resource consent to build the diversion wall structure in Lake Rotoiti.

The diversion wall is designed to stop water flowing from Lake Rotorua into the main body of Lake Rotoiti and instead diverting it down Kaituna River via the ?hau Channel.

Most of Lake Rotoiti's problems are caused by nutrients flowing into it from the lake and the diversion wall is expected to significantly improve the lake's water quality in the future.

The pair was awarded $600 and a trophy for their scientific research on the project.

Rotorua student Cain West is the second overall winner of the NIWA Bay of Plenty Regional Science and Technology Fair.

Rotorua Intermediate School student Cain West took out the Kiwianis Reserve Award for second overall winner. His project ‘Souptastic Spoon' is an electric spoon designed to help people with arthiritis or motor disabilities to eat soup.

Cain won a trophy and $400 for his project.

NIWA biologist and Science Fair co-ordinator Tracey Burton was excited to see what New Zealand's future scientists have been researching.

'Science and Technology Fairs are all about getting students to use scientific methods to solve real-life problems. They learn about the value in conducting science experiments that have been properly researched, designed and analysed.''

Innovation is always a key component at the annual NIWA-sponsored fair. This year projects included a study of the Tuapiro Stream during the drought, work that looks at reversing hypoglycaemia and a study of bacteria levels versus invertebrates in the Waipapa Stream.

A team of judges, including scientists, educators and industry representatives, awarded prizes across a range of categories, including a $600 award for Best in Fair and $400 for the runner-up.

Bethlehem College student Justice Haumaha won the Maori Category with her project 'Fibres in Flax'.

Organiser Mark Franken says the enthusiasm of the students and the amount of work they had put into their projects was extremely impressive.

'We are looking forward to talking to the students about their experiments and finding out more about what our potential future scientists are interested in.”

Tauranga Intermediate School took out a number of awards on the night including four special awards including NZ radio Science Award first equal, Statistics NZ Award for Statistical Data, Rotorua District Council Mayoral Award for Engineering, and the NIWA Maori Science Award.

Bethlehem College student Tessa Waldon won the Farming category for her project 'Nitrogen Fertilisers..

The intermediate school also took out eight highly commended recognitions with New Zealand's Got Talent 2012 finalist Fletcher Oxford winning one of the titles.

Otumoetai Intermediate School and Bethlehem College also took out a number of highly commended awards and special awards on the night.

The NIWA BOP Regional Science and Technology Fair was open to public at the Rotorua Convention Centre on Thursday, August 22, and on Friday, August 23.

Prize winners were recognised at an official ceremony on Friday in the Rotorua Convention Centre's concert chamber.

NIWA is also a major sponsor of Auckland, Manukau, Waikato and Wellington science and technology fairs.