26 February 2020
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: People congregating in Kuirau Park
Enquiry
I'm doing a story about people from the homeless shelter congregating at Kuirau Park.
Can you please let me know answers to the following?
- Has the Rotorua Lakes Council encouraged those who leave Tiny Deane's Pukuatua St night shelter to move to Kuirau Park during the day? Why?
- Have council seats been removed in the area of the shelter to prevent groups congregating in the CBD?
- Have homeless people previously been causing issues in the central city sparking this move to Kuirau Park? What issues were these?
- Is it better having them at Kuirau Park? Why?
- Are there any concerns about the "look" of having shopping trolleys, flags and blankets etc around the park given it is a tourist attraction?
- How does the council monitor the activity of those who congregate there (are there regular checks, clean ups of rubbish etc)?
- What is the council's current policy around trespassing homeless people from Kuirau Park? Does this happen? Has your policy changed at all over the past year or two?
- Does the council still use the large mobile security camera on a trailer in the CBD?
- Have more security cameras been erected in the central city in recent months to combat anti-social activity? (we have seen some on street signs on Amohia/Pukuatua Sts and Hinemoa/Amohia Sts at least).
- If so, specifically how many and where?
- How many security cameras are there in the CBD now in total?
- How much have the recent additional security cameras cost?
Response
From Manager CE's office, Craig Tiriana:
We are aware there are people congregating in Kuirau Park and are closely monitoring this.
Our public parks are there for the enjoyment of all and it is always our hope that people will be respectful of both the space and of all other park users.
Our Safe City Guardians and security staff patrol daily in the wider CBD area, including Kuirau Park, and deal with any issues they witness. Anti-social behaviour should not be tolerated and it's really important people report anti-social or criminal behaviour to the police immediately so action can be taken and we get an accurate picture of what is occurring.
Council continues to work closely with the police to address anti-social and criminal behaviour in the wider CBD area as part of our ongoing joint inner city safety campaign.
There are 48 fixed CCTV cameras throughout the CBD and we haven't increased the number of cameras but we have increased monitoring since we started our joint council/police inner city safety campaign. This provides additional "eyes" on the inner city, helps to identify and often de-escalate problems and where criminal behaviour is witnessed, enables us to get police there quickly.
An inner city community constable provides additional support and engages with local businesses, providing advice and assistance as needed.
Re has the Rotorua Lakes Council encouraged those who leave Tiny Deane's Pukuatua St night shelter to move to Kuirau Park during the day? No
Regarding question about council's current policy "around trespassing homeless people from Kuirau Park" as you have put it: Council has no policy to trespass homeless people from our parks but we do from time to time have to trespass people from public places due to anti-social or criminal behaviour or for their own or the public's safety, and that is not specific to people who may be homeless or choose to live on the streets.
Re mobile CCTV camera: This has in the past been used to monitor particular trouble spots and we will continue to use it if/as appropriate as part of the inner city safety campaign. This camera is also used for the likes of events.
Re seating: Public seating has been removed from outside St Luke's Church after concerns about the behaviour of people who were congregating there.
*Not for publication but for you to note - the assumptions that it is homeless people' congregating in Kuirau Park, being trespassed and/or causing issues in the CBD are yours, not ours. As we've articulated in our response, council does not distinguish between people who are homeless and others in dealing with issues/behaviour/situations in the CBD or anywhere else. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: CBD gardens and beautification
Enquiry
Further to earlier enquiry regarding inner city gardens and beautification (see HERE, HERE and HERE), the reporter had the following questions:
Questions:
- Is that true - has the council not nominated Rotorua for KNZB's most beautiful city once since 2010?
- Did the council previously (from 1999 to 2010 at least) nominate the city for the Most Beautiful City award?
- If so, why did that stop? Was it intentional?
- Whose job was it?
- Does the council intend on nominating the city this year (nominations close in March)?
Can you please also tell me what the revenue was for 2018/19 and 2019/20 from Infracore's nursery - from lending and selling plants etc.?
Also can you please clarify, when you say "gardening maintenance contractor" you mean Infracore? Need to clarify as elsewhere it was referred to as "horticultural services provider" and I'd like to make sure I'm not at risk of conflating organisations. If the "gardening maintenance contractor" is not Infracore can you please advise me who/what is?
Is the council able to please provide the spend in the 2019/20 year to date on that extra "on-demand" work then too please?
And can you please confirm that means that figure ($257,660) will be higher at the end of the financial year - if that is the actual spend. I.e. it's not the total spend for the year, it's the spend YTD. What is the budgeted figure?
Response
From Infrastructure Group Manager Stavros Michael:
The nominations for this award were previously submitted by the now defunct local trust, Keep Rotorua Beautiful. No submissions have been made by Council.
Council is not intending to make a nomination this year. The organisation is focused on delivering greater sustainability outcomes for the district and does not have a dedicated resource for award submissions.
The following responses are provided as information rather than quotes:
Can you please also tell me what the revenue was for 2018/19 and 2019/20 from Infracore's nursery - from lending and selling plants etc.?
This is a question for Infracore.
Also can you please clarify, when you say "gardening maintenance contractor" you mean Infracore? Need to clarify as elsewhere it was referred to as "horticultural services provider" and I'd like to make sure I'm not at risk of conflating organisations. If the "gardening maintenance contractor" is not Infracore can you please advise me who/what is?
Correct, Infracore.
Is the council able to please provide the spend in the 2019/20 year to date on that extra "on-demand" work then too please?
Budgeted amount for on demand/as needed gardens work in the CBD
$115,000
Spend will be supplied by Infracore at the end of the financial year.
And can you please confirm that means that figure ($257,660) will be higher at the end of the financial year - if that is the actual spend. I.e. it's not the total spend for the year, it's the spend YTD. What is the budgeted figure?
Please note the previous figure provided for day to day CBD work of ($257,660) was incorrect, we apologise for any confusion. The budgeted amount for day to day gardens work in the CBD is $245,522 for this financial year.
The actual spend for the year will be the day to day gardening work plus how much on-demand work is required.
