24 December 2018
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Housing challenges
Enquiry
Reporter contacted Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson for comment re a story regarding housing challenges, the spatial plan and consenting:
This is what I have drafted below.
Would be great to include some comment from you about how you see us lifting the number of extra consented dwellings in Rotorua to prepare for high population growth if it eventuates.
Also any other comment you wanted to make about the info below is more than welcome.
The Rotorua Lakes Council issued 130 consents for new dwellings in the year to November, up from 117 in the year to November 2017.
However, the Spatial Plan adopted on August 30 predicted a need for up to 17,000 homes over the next 30 years, meaning an average of 567 homes would need to be consented annually, to cater for population growth of up to 30,000 in the Rotorua district.
If the upward trend in consented dwellings in Rotorua continues, next year the council will be close to doubling the number of dwellings consented in 2014, 75 and 2015, 76.
Stats NZ defines a dwelling as any building or structure, or its parts (such as apartments or units) that is used, or intended to be used, for human habitation.
Rotorua Lakes Council's statistics show the total value of the building work consented for new dwellings in the year to November was $48.3 million dollars, with an average of just over $371,500 of building work outlined in each consent.
The council's spatial plan states that increased traffic congestion and housing affordability in cities like Auckland have made Rotorua "an increasingly desirable place to live".
It also says population increases have already put pressure on Rotorua's housing market because "there are not enough new homes being built for the number of additional people living in the district".
"Although we have a large amount of land available for homes, this land is not being developed for various reasons, such as a lack of infrastructure available or because land is in multiple ownership which can complicate decision making.
"Also, some areas that could be developed to include multiple units remain as single homes."
The plan highlights that "Rotorua's central city, or CBD, is too big, needs to be reduced to create vibrancy and residential areas".
More than 1000 residents were engaged in the formation of the spatial plan, across 56 workshops.
The Rotorua Lakes Council's latest performance indicators show it processes about 66 per cent of building consents within 15 working days.
A total value of $47.8 million dollars of commercial building work was also consented in the year to November, down from $54.5 million in the year to November 2017.
Areas for future residential growth outlined in Spatial Plan
- Iwi have aspirations for papakāinga near Lake Tarawera, Rotoiti and Rotomā.
- CBD accommodation along Fenton Street can be transitioned into areas for homes in the longer term, with tourist accommodation moving to the CBD or
the surrounding area.
- Some support was expressed by rural landowners for more homes at Hamurana.
- Ngongotahā community expressed general support for additional homes around the village but also felt it was important to have a clear separation from Rotorua city to
keep the village feel. There was support to see industrial land changes, making more land available for more homes.
- In the east side of Lake Rotorua, there was support for more homes being built between Vaughan Road and the lake and transitioning away from heavy industrial use.
Response
From Cr Dave Donaldson:
The spatial plan is a blueprint for how we want Rotorua to look in future and ensures we grow in a planned and sustainable way. It identifies potential areas for growth - including residential, commercial and industrial - as well as identifying areas for recreation and areas we want or need to protect. The spatial plan will also help developers and investors and help us plan future infrastructure.
So some commentary from me below:
Council knows there are housing pressures but it's too simplistic to say we need a certain number of consents per year to cater for a certain amount of growth. Opportunities will come as developers decide time is right and there are generally a number of factors involved in that decision-making including market demand and land value.
The District Plan also plays a part in helping landowners and developers make their decisions and Council also plays a part by ensuring we are providing and investing in infrastructure to support growth, including investing in wastewater schemes and roading capacity improvements. This is occurring - through Council's 2018-28 Long-term Plan - which invests heavily in infrastructure, and via the New Zealand Transport Agency's multi-million dollar investment in key Rotorua roading corridors.
The LTP also includes ongoing redevelopment and improvement planned for community facilities like Kuirau Park, The Lakefront, Whakarewarewa Forest, Aquatic Centre, lakes infrastructure and neighbourhood amenities. Central Government is investing in Rotorua as is evidenced by the PGF funding of the lakefront and Whakarewarewa forest projects while RECT's $10m investment in the Rotorua Museum re-build will provide impetus to gain Govt investment in this iconic facility which is of national as well as local significance. These transformational projects will benefit and be enjoyed by locals as well as visitors and boost our economy through private investment that will follow and will generate jobs.
We know there are developers waiting for the evidence of these developments before they go ahead with their own plans, but in my view the signals are pretty clear and some developers are already seizing the initiative to green-light commercial and residential projects. Council's job is to work with people to enable them to make their decisions and move ahead with their plans."
