11 March 2020
Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Kainga Ora social housing plans
Enquiry
I am writing a story about how Kainga Ora is planning to build 72 houses in 2019/20 in Rotorua - I am just waiting on clarification about where they are up to with this. I have some questions for the mayor and my deadline is 1 pm tomorrow.
Thanks
How is the council working in conjunction with Kainga Ora to help achieve the goal of 72 houses?
What is the next step with work between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the council and Te Arawa to find housing solutions?
In your view how did it get to this point in Rotorua - how did it become a homeless hot spot and what can be done to fix it?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick:
Council is working on a housing plan with Te Arawa iwi and key government agencies like Kainga Ora to develop a range of solutions to address Rotorua's critical housing shortage. We're also working with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development on a place-based assessment for Rotorua.
We have been very clear that it's not just about more homes but also about ensuring that people who are assisted into housing by those agencies and organisations doing this mahi also have all the support and wrap-around services that they need including mental health and addiction services. So there is a lot that needs to align.
We have been working with our key partners for the past four months and early on engaged with stakeholders in the wider community to get input into a district housing plan. Solutions that form part of that will be announced as they are finalised and housing minister Megan Woods' recent visit to Rotorua to confirm Government's commitment to investing in solutions for Rotorua was crucial to enable us to progress.
Housing is a very complex issue and we need a diverse range of solutions. We need housing across the spectrum, from emergency, transitional and social housing to new housing developments that will increase rental and general housing stock. We also need to ensure we have the infrastructure, amenities and facilities in place to support more housing and need to work with developers to enable them to progress with development plans.
Many stakeholders will have roles to play in delivering solutions for our community - this needs a whole-of-community, whole-of-government approach.
We have a supply and demand problem with a growing population and increasing numbers of people relying on emergency housing special needs grants. An increasing number of people are also waiting for social housing. The market hasn't kept up with demand which is why house prices and rental costs have increased and the impact of this is felt most acutely by the bottom end of the rental market.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Behaviour of homeless in CBD
Enquiry
I tried to call Steve before as I'm after a comment from her as mayor (not the council) about the behaviour of the homeless people in the CBD yesterday.
This is something I'm just working on now as a result of a video that's gone viral of a person smoking a marijuana bong in the central city outside a local business.
(The video can be seen on the You know you're from Rotorua when... Facebook page).
It will be for tomorrow's paper, deadline is 2pm.
Local businesses are saying they are fed up, they want Rotorua back and the homeless people and their entourage laying about in the streets have to go.
They say there's so much hui, talk, emails, letters, plans but no action right now. They are calling for leadership from someone immediately.
They say the Government announcement recently was well and good but that's not helping them right now.
I am seeking Steve's reaction to that. What does she think should happen now to help these businesses get back the Rotorua they had?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor, Steve Chadwick:
Council and the police are taking a zero tolerance approach to anti-social and illegal behaviour in our inner city and action is taken where these behaviours are witnessed and/or reported. It is essential that these behaviours are reported to the police, as they're being witnessed, by calling 111.
Our Safe City Guardians and security partners maintain a high profile in the inner city and are actively de-escalating situations before they become incidents. This is done in collaboration with our team monitoring the inner city's CCTV cameras who work closely with, and share information with, the police.
"Solutions to addressing Rotorua's critical housing shortage - which we are partnering with Central Government, its agencies and key stakeholders such as iwi to implement - will also enable us to address some of the issues we are seeing in the inner city and that are of concern for us all. We are working as fast as we can on these solutions and progress is being made.
Simply providing housing won't solve all the issues - we also need to ensure we have services and support available for people who need it. With appropriate solutions to our housing issues in place we should no longer require a night shelter in our inner city. We also need more community police and more community mental health and addiction services - we've made that clear to Government and our housing plan partners.
My role as Mayor includes working with Central Government and its agencies to get support for and investment in solutions for the issues we're experiencing in Rotorua, including housing and social issues. The establishment of Housing First in Rotorua a year ago, and the Government's confirmation of its commitment to investing in solutions for Rotorua, are crucial to enabling us to progress with solutions that should have an impact on more than just the supply of homes in our district.
People may not always see what's happening in the background, but I can assure the community and inner city businesses that we are doing all we can, we are working as hard and as fast as possible to address issues of concern, and that we will work with them to resolve these issues.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Proposed Westbrook recreation prectinct
Enquiry
I am working on a story about the proposed Westbrook sport and recreation precinct.
I have spoken to a number of people for the story and would like to provide the council right of reply to those comments.
I also have a couple of questions of my own:
- One person says the council has spent $100,000 on plans for the Westbrook sports and rec precinct so far. Is this correct? If not, what is the correct figure?
- That person also says they understand the overall plan will cost $40 million. Is that the council's estimation also? If not, what is?
Comments - All are direct quotes unless in [brackets] where their speech has been paraphrased or I have provided context/clarity.
Springfield Golf Club president: [The council process has been] a little underhand. Last week was the first time they actually spoke to us about it. And then they present us with basically fully blown plans. It feels like they've already made their mind up. [The council] think[s] that we're a dying club. We wouldn't be amalgamating [with another golf club] we would just we would just disappear as far as I'm aware. We're still here for another seven years, before they can even put a spade in the ground. [with consents, process, etc.] It'll be 12 to 15 years from now before even this is up and going. It could be a waste of money. They haven't even done soil tests on this place [the Springfield Golf Course]. We think [the council] should explore other options. We have 70 years of history here and they just want to wipe it. I don't know what our strategy is going to be because if they're adamant that's going ahead it's going ahead, what more can we do apart from have an occupation?
Springfield Golf Club member: We don't like the idea [of redeveloping the Springfield Golf Course land]. The council's got better bloody things to do. They've got a museum to fix. The Howard Morrison Centre to bloody fix. The lakefront. They've got to finish that off. Spend money on roads. We've got enough parks, we've got enough green land around here.
Lake City Athletics Club president: We're unhappy. [The council has] told [us] we're probably going to end up on Neil Hunt Park. [The grade of soil at that location, a section by the roundabout, is grade 1 / not appropriate for the level of use for the Athletics club].They're going to have to spend an enormous amount to make it suitable [Most athletes need to use track for cross-training]. [An Athletics club at Neil Hunt Park would require work, including parking, a storage facility and making it enclosed and secure. He believes it would cost the council even more for all of this.] [The location in/by Neil Hunt Park would be an] unsuitable place in terms of traffic management. It feels like we're being shoved aside we're being shoved into the background we feel that we've been shoved out of the way when we should be right in the middle of it. [If they had a rubber track] we could have international meets here we would have groups from overseas to train for off-season. [LCAC did not receive an invite to stakeholders' meeting on Wednesday March 4.]
Children's athletic coach: Why wouldn't you have an athletics track? [in the sports and rec precinct] It's common sense to have a track. If we [had a rubber track] it would go off just like one of those main sports do. We feel quite forgotten. I said [to a council officer] it feels like athletics has been a bit shafted here. [The council] completely forgot a code [of sport]. My backyard is going to be a carpark and I'm not down for that. Disappointed and a little bit gutted athletics wasn't [included in plans]. We've been moved and moved and moved and moved. All we require is one enclosed field. [Neil hunt park is] not acceptable. [Neil Hunt Park would need irrigation to fix up the field for athletics, and car parking for 300]. The facilities [at Neil Hunt Park] would need a massive upgrade [to cater for athletics]
I would like to invite the council to provide its perspective on any and all of these comments.
Subsequent further questions:
I have some further comments from Councillor Raj Kumar I would like to give the council the opportunity to reply to.
Comments:
"A plan must have been done ... three years ago"
"This is just a dirty deal"
"The consultation process is not really clear."
"Why did the golf course never ever be given an opportunity to apply for their lease again?"
"If they had taken a consultation approach ... that would have been good."
"We want to kill one golf course ... at the expense of promoting other sports."
"There is never ever going to be affordable housing in Springfield."
Also just a point of clarification - is "Taiwhanga Rotorua" part of the proposed name for the precinct?
One other thing: Kumar says he is going to launch a petition against the proposal next week "to say let's stop this".
Response
Information provided by Council:
There is a large amount of information in regards to the precinct concept available online at: https://letstalk.rotorualakescouncil.nz/westbrook-precinct
I have bullet pointed some of the key information below to provide an overview of the project.
- Council is dedicated to its Vision 2030 goals of creating a city that has outstanding places to play, an enhanced environment, and homes that match needs.
- Over the past few years Council has commissioned a number of assessments in regards to sports grounds and facilities in the District.
- Findings show that current sports grounds and facilities in Rotorua are insufficient to meet current demand and future needs.
- Council has been and continues to engage with local sports field users, their regional and national sporting bodies, and existing users of the facilities involved to gain feedback and ideas for any future developments.
- The earlier assessments and feedback led to Council and SportNZ commissioning a report to determine the feasibility of a sport and recreation precinct at Westbrook, adding to and enhancing the number of facilities already on offer in that area.
- The work has been undertaken to ensure that we are planning ahead to meet the current demands and future needs of sports and recreation users in the District.
- The concept for the proposed sport and recreation precinct was only recently finalised and thus able to be shared with the community, following being presented to Councillors at the end of February.
- Council is currently asking for feedback on the initial concept, before it proceeds beyond the concept phase for potential submission into Council's 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.
- The feedback gathered will help inform any plans going forward, before funding options are explored, and any final proposal is prepared for submission into Council's 2021-2031 Long Term Plan.
- For more information and to provide feedback, please visit: https://letstalk.rotorualakescouncil.nz/westbrook-precinctOne person says the council has spent $100,000 on plans for the Westbrook sports and rec precinct so far. Is this correct? If not, what is the correct figure?Council invested $20K into a report which looked at the quality and capacity of our existing sports fields across the city. The results found that current sports grounds and facilities in Rotorua are not up to modern standards, and are insufficient to meet current demand and future needs. This, along with conversations with sports field users, their regional and national sporting bodies, and existing users of the facilities involved, led to Council and SportNZ to commission a report to determine the feasibility of a sport and recreation precinct at Westbrook, adding to and enhancing the number of facilities already on offer in that area. Council invested $110K to this report and SportNZ contributed $20K. This work has been undertaken to ensure that we are planning ahead to meet the current demands and future needs of sports and recreation users in the District.That person also says they understand the overall plan will cost $40 million. Is that the council's estimation also? If not, what is?The proposed Westbrook precinct concept has an estimated cost of approximately $45 million. Council is currently seeking feedback on the initial concept and if the project progresses beyond the concept phase, Council would be seeking funding from project partners, community funds and grants, and central government, as well as potential funding through the Long Term Plan. Funding could also potentially come from the allocation of land for residential development.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Chow Bros plans
Enquiry
I've just talked to Vicki Chow finally and she's confirmed [Chow Bros] have bought the former regional council building but they haven't decided what will go in there yet. Her brother's reference at the [Pullman Hotel] opening to it being a convention centre or a parking building was showing how broad the scope is (almost like a joke) and they would now spend time doing research into what they think the building will be best used for.
She said they see great things for Rotorua and are happy to invest here.
So it's awesome news we have wealthy developers having confidence in Rotorua.
Can the council provide a reaction at all to this? They built our first five star hotel and now are looking to do more? Is it good to see?
Response
Reporter was informed the council did not have any initial reaction to this news but could potentially provide comment further down the track when there are more details about what this development will involve.
