28 September 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Special Housing Area in Ngongotaha

Inquiry

The reporter followed up with the Minister's office regarding the progress of the Special Housing Area in Ngongotaha - the response was -

It is the duty of the Minister responsible for approving Special Housing Areas to satisfy themselves that all proposals meet the statutory requirements set out in the Housing Accords and Special Housing Areas Act 2013 (HASHAA).

These requirements include the provision of adequate infrastructure and evidence of demand for housing in the area.

The Minister relies on the information provided by the Councils for this assessment, who in turn often rely on external contractors and agencies.

The Minister is currently waiting on flood level information from Rotorua Lakes District Council (RLDC).

A decision will be made once this information has been received.

After a second follow up the ministery advised it was still waiting for the information from the council.

The reporter asked the following questions of Council -

• What has the council been doing to prepare information to meet the requirements of the application?
• How much longer is this expected to take?
• Are there any other updates on the council's end?

Response

Information provided:

The landowners are currently commissioning further flood assessments. Once this has been done, both Rotorua Lakes Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council will review the assessments before sending them to the Minister.

We're unsure of a timeframe around the assessment process.