20 September 2017
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Council-owned properties for auction
Inquiry
I am hoping to get council comment or speak to someone re the council-owned Ngongotaha homes at 66, 76 and 80 Western Rd up for auction through Harcourts.
- I would like to know why the homes have been listed now for sale considering they have been in council-ownership for some time.
- Does council have an expected price range they will sell in?
- Has council looked at any other options other than listing the homes for sale, for example zoning the land as reserve land.
- Has council received any information regarding what can be done with the land to stop it subsiding and any related costs associated with carrying out the work?
- Has remedial work been done?
- Has anyone been living in the homes since settlement was reached with the owners in 2013.
And any other comment deemed relevant by council.
Response
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Coll:
The Western Road properties, which have been tenanted, are surplus to Council requirements. We have an ongoing programme of reviewing council-owned properties and those identified as being surplus to Council's requirements are recommended for sale at an appropriate time.
Details such as pricing are commercially sensitive.
Options for remedial works on the Western Road properties were explored and a decision was made to instead put them on the market with full disclosure.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Tourism infrastructure funding
Inquiry
Following up on a media release issued by Minister of Tourism Paula Bennett, announcing 43 eligible applications to the first round of the new $100m Tourism Infrastructure Fund, the reporter asked the following:
- Did the Council apply for any funding in the first round of the new $100 million Tourism Infrastructure Fund that attracted 43 eligible applications? If so, what were the details of the application?
- How important is funding of this type to the Council and why?
- In the past five years how much tourism funding has been received by the RLDC by the government and what was it used for?
- Some councils around NZ are calling for a tourism tax as they believe ratepayers are picking up the cost of tourists - what is the Council's view on that - should there be a tourism tax?
- According to MBIE it looks like the Rotorua Council has not received any funding to the fund's predecessor (Regional Mid-sized Tourism Facilities Grant Fund), announced at Budget 2016.
- Has the Council applied to the (Regional Mid-sized Tourism Facilities Grant Fund) in the past five years and why/why not?
- Tourism tax is a topic of discussion which has been raised again by other councils.
- And for my own clarifications as I am familiarising myself with Rotorua - Michelle Templer is the Destination Rotorua CEO and is heading the Lakes Council controlled Rotorua Economic Development Ltd. So how much funding from Council do these two organisations currently receive?
Response
Destination Rotorua has received $4.235 million in Council funding for the 2017/18 financial year
From Strategy Group manager Jean-Paul Gaston:
Council did not apply to this round of funding but we have indicated we will do so in future.
Funding applications need to be aligned to priorities. The Rotorua 2030 vision refresh (The Rotorua Way) has set the direction for the next few years, identifying priorities, key projects to deliver and initiatives to explore.
Our annual plan (adopted at the end of June) and our local tourism strategy and district spatial plan (which will both be finalised in the near future) reflect the priorities identified in The Rotorua Way and it was important to have all these in place before applying for any funding.
Rotorua is a key visitor destination contributing to tourism nationally and Central Government investment is crucial to ensure we're able to cater for increased tourism as well as the local growth we're experiencing.
During the past five years Council has received the following Central Government tourism-related funding:
- MBIE funded four sub-regional tourism strategies, including one for Rotorua, as part of a wider Bay of Plenty strategy. The Rotorua strategy, which was reported on at last week's Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee meeting, has a heavy focus on infrastructure;
- Funding for Te Ara Ahi, the Rotorua section of the national cycleway;
We are already experiencing increased pressure on our roads and while we have sufficient water and sewerage infrastructure and facilities like public toilets and carparking to meet current needs, all this comes under increasing pressure with continued local growth and increased tourism.