17 September 2020

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Kawaha Point Villas development

Enquiry

Just hoping to get some questions away to the council in regard to the new buyer's plans for the site previously known as Kawaha Point Villas.

Developer Marcus Jacobson said he was in talks with the council and had planned on getting construction underway in the next two weeks - has council approved this?

A real estate agent said this was not realistic with council consents - is the council fast-tracking consents? Do you believe he will be able to get the houses done in six months with the paperwork that needs to go with the builds?

Is the council glad that the long-promised development is getting underway?

Any other comments you wish to make on this topic?

Response

From Operations Group Manager Jocelyn Mikaere:

Our teams have met with Mr Jacobson and discussed the next steps including design changes. The site does have a resource consent for a comprehensive development for 26 houses. We are now awaiting applications to vary the resource consent and for the final building consent applications for amended designs.

Our teams always endeavour to progress consents as quickly as possible and where able, working alongside developers to make the process more efficient. From our understanding there will be design duplications which means there will be efficiencies that will help to speed up the process for Mr Jacobson's development.

Council is very motivated to get more housing in Rotorua to reduce the housing shortage.

Note to reporter: Your question re timeframe for build would be better directed to the developer. He will be able to talk about how he will achieve his desired project timing.

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Salvation Army State of Our Communities report

Enquiry

Here is the report released by the Salvation Army [see full report HERE and see summary of report HERE]. Below are some key points:

Summary:

One of the key concerns for the community is homelessness; many of the locals talked about the challenges with affordability and availability of homes. Housing unaffordability drives financial hardship and poverty, which is associated with gangs, addictions, accessing adequate healthcare services and unemployment. Te Arawa was a significant theme of support during lockdown and, moving forward, Maori-led solutions to complex issues cannot be underestimated.

Key points:

• The 2018 Census recorded 71,877. Maori made up 40%.
• Ministry of Housing Development identified Rotorua as one of the 6 national homeless hotspots where homelessness was a serious and increasing issue.
• As of June this year, there were 540 applicants on the register from the district, compared to 23 applicants in 2015.
• One of the highest rates of severe housing deprivation in NZ with 128.6 people per 10,000 living with severe housing stress
• One of the worst affected areas from the national lockdowns
• 16% decrease in tourism spending compared to last year
• The number of food parcels distributed to new clients between March and June increased by 191%
• 29% of households don't have access to internet
• One of the worst crime rates in the country
• The worst gaming machine proceeds per capita in the country
• Kuirau was one of the worst areas census areas for housing deprivation in the country
• Maori culture = embraced and integrated

Homelessness

• Then number one concern in the city with focus on rough sleepers
• Locals talked of need to move away from housing the homeless in motels and shift towards sustainable solutions
• Some are concerned for the overall safety of the area
• One community service manager said - "Rotorua is Hollywood for the homeless" - they're fed, showered, have wifi

Housing

• Three key aspects of housing issues were identified - lack of affordable housing, shortage of social housing, and poor state of houses.
• Incomes don't match the housing prices
• Difficulty for both employed and unemployed to secure rentals
• Lack of heating in homes
• One local spoke of irony of people dying to to lack of appropriate heating, despite living in a geothermal mecca
• more need for social housing

Employment and Income

• Over 35% of those surveys experienced some kind of income loss due to Covid
• Food hardships were identified

Summary:

• Major social challenges before pandemic, especially homelessness, housing and gangs. Lockdown brought new challenges around employment, income and mental health.

Questions

What needs to be done to address homelessness, housing and income?

What is your organisation doing to combat issues highlighted in the report?

Does anything in this report surprise you? What and why?

Is there hope for Rotorua given such a dire report?

What is projected to happen if these worsening issues are not addressed?

Any other comments on the report is welcomed.

Response

From Mayor Steve Chadwick:

I haven't yet had the opportunity to read the report fully but there don't appear to be any surprises. The issues raised existed pre-COVID-19 and we knew that the pandemic would exacerbate these. Many are inter-related and as a Council we recognised that when we set our key priority for this term around housing and thriving communities late last year. We need to make sure that we are building resilient, connected communities with access to facilities, services and support that people need.

There is a lot of work being done on many fronts to address the issues highlighted in the report and the economic impact of COVID-19. As I have said previously, addressing these issues requires a collective effort if we want to make a difference and as the report highlights, Te Arawa's leadership, input and involvement is crucial to achieving positive outcomes for our community.

It is crucial we have an effective mechanism in place locally for the all-of-government response required to get the outcomes our community needs. There is a willingness for a more collaborative response to local issues and we are working on that with urgency.

Re what is your organisation doing to combat the issues highlighted in the report, please see below. Please note, this is information as opposed to quotes/comments. As you will be aware also, Council is not the lead agency dealing with the likes of mental health, crime and housing/homelessness but collaborates with agencies which are responsible for these areas to lead, facilitate and/or contribute:

Current council work that relates to housing and is underway:

• Housing Strategy (developed in partnership with Te Arawa and Central Government agencies following community consultation, currently in draft form, being consulted on again now ahead of being finalised and implemented. Please note: the report includes not just what RLC is doing/will do but also what the housing plan partners are doing/will do and some actions are already underway. See THIS LINK to view the housing strategy)
• Investment in infrastructure upgrades including wastewater, roading and stormwater is underway throughout the city;
• Council is progressing a District Plan Change to facilitate housing at Pukehangi (Plan Change 2, see more HERE);
• Council and NZTA recently received Government funding for roading and stormwater upgrades to support proposed housing at Wharenui;
• Council is collaborating with Tatau Pounamu Collective on an eastside locality plan that will address the future needs, aspirations and resilience of communities there (see more about that HERE)
• Long-term infrastructure planning is underway (Infrastructure GM Stavros Michael presented to elected members at 3Sept Operations & Monitoring Committee meeting - see presentation slides HERE);
• Climate Action Plan (this includes infrastructure resilience planning/actions - plan was presented at O&M 3Sept, see more HERE);
• Healthy Homes initiative to help make homes healthier, warmer, dry and cheaper to run is ongoing (see more about that HERE).Note: We would encourage you to familiarise yourself with the housing strategy which outlines all the proposed actions, including council actions. See, for instance, the council actions referred to on p28 re thriving communities; pages 30-31 re locality plans; pages 32 and 33 re healthy homes; p34 re infrastructure.Note: RDP reported on all of the above in her 11 September 2020 story re housing/homelessness - see link to her story HERERe economy/employment: Council has adopted a Build Back Better economic recovery approach that takes a short, medium and long-term view and includes:
• Working with business sectors to create a confident business environment that encourages investment and the emergency of new sectors/diversification.
• Council is directly investing in economic recovery with a new $1m one-off resilience fund to support community organisations and initiatives, re-starting existing capital projects to drive employment, and a new $29m fund for partnership projects that create employment and stimulate the economy.
• Council will continue to monitor wellbeing indicators and Government responses related to Rotorua issues and to evaluate local impacts across the four wellbeings (social, economic, environmental and cultural) and continues to collaborate closely with locally-based Central Government leaders, Te Arawa and other relevant organisations.
• Council continues to advocate at national level on Rotorua's behalf regarding investment in our district to help stimulate the economy and keep businesses in work and people in jobs. Re crime/community safety:
• Council maintains a strong working relationship with the police and police and RLC operate a joint safety campaign in the wider central city area which is ongoing. (Cira, the Daily Post has reported on this initiative many times but if you want anything more get back to us)
• Council works with police and communities to make public spaces safer and deter criminal behaviour through the likes of environmental design (CPTED) that reduces opportunities for crime by making places more visible/open etc

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Escape from managed isolation

Enquiry

I was wondering if I could please get a comment from mayor Steve Chadwick about the news that a man absconded from a Rotorua managed isolation facility last night? How does she feel hearing this news? Will she be taking any actions to ensure it does not happen again?

Response

From Mayor Steve Chadwick:

It's obviously disappointing but I was reassured to learn that the matter was dealt with very quickly and that the risk to our wider community is low.

Our expectation is that people will respect our community and like everybody else has had to do, abide by the conditions that have been put in place to protect the wider public. We have all played our part and we ask that those re-entering New Zealand also play their part and not put us at unnecessary risk.

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Media: Local Democracry Reporter

Topic: Elected members' salaries

Enquiry

I have this list of elected members' pay but no record of where I got it from so if you could please confirm all of these too that would be great. Can you please also tell me what Rural and Lakes Community Baord and Te Tatau o Te Arawa reps get as well?

Mayor Steve Chadwick: $152,000

Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson (plus councillor lead roles): $100,000

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait (committee chair, councillor lead role): $83,042

Tania Tapsell (committee chair, councillor lead role): $83,042

Sandra Kai Fong (deputy committee chair, councillor lead role): $70,750

Mercia Yates (deputy committee chair, councillor lead role): $70,750

Trevor Maxwell (cultural ambassador and councillor lead role): $70,750

Fisher Wang (councillor lead role): $70,750

Peter Bentley: $55,000

Raj Kumar: $55,000

Reynold Macpherson: $55,000

Response

Please see info below re salary/funding for the rural and lakes boards and Te Tatau o Te Arawa Board:

Lakes Community Board salaries:

Phill Thomass (chair): $16,797

Nick Chater, Sandra Goodwin, Jennifer Rothwell (board members): $8,399

Rural Community Board salaries:

Shirley Trumper (chair): $18,773

Bryce Heard, Ben Hollier, Sarah Thomson (board members): $9,387

Note:

The Mayor, Councillors, Lakes Community Board & Rural Community Board member's salaries are all set by the Remuneration Authority

Te Tatau o Te Arawa receive an annual contribution from RLC of $372,500.

And yes the table you have [re Council salaries] is correct.