Tracing the neglect of lakes in New Zealand's freshwater politics

Abstract This article examines the material, social and legal drivers of contemporary lake politics in Aotearoa New Zealand through semi‐structured interviews with freshwater experts. Despite the rise of freshwater as a mainstream political issue, we find that lakes receive limited attention in a national discourse dominated by rivers and streams. We elaborate how the slow accumulation of environmental changes in lakes, a history of reactive legislation, variability in regional governance and social disconnection from lakes collectively contribute to a ‘politics of neglect’. We suggest pathways towards a revitalised lake politics that draws attention to the health and values of diverse waterbodies.