2 March 2018

Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Parks Week 2018

Enquiry

The following questions were asked regarding Parks Week activities:

• How many years has Rotorua been involved in Parks Week?
• Why is it great/important to have a week celebrating parks in our community?
• What do you think of the range of activities on offer for people this year?
• Why do you encourage the community to head along to the events and get behind Parks Week?

Response

The following information was provided:

You can find Parks Weeks events in Rotorua via THIS LINK on the events spotlight on the home page of Council's website.

Some facts about Rotorua's parks and reserves:

Council manages:

• 800ha of reserve land (excluding the forests)
• 50ha of sports fields
• 45km of walkways
• 72 playgrounds

Other info:

• Tokorangi Forest (which includes the Redwoods) and adjoining Whakarewarewa Forest together cover more than 5600ha are jointly managed by Council and iwi stakeholders
• There are more than 150km of running/walking, mountainbiking and horse riding trails in the two forests combined
• An area adjacent to the Redwoods, which is part of Scion's grounds, provides an off-the-leash dog area
• There are 22 other parks and reserves throughout Rotorua where dogs are permitted
• The Department of Conservation manages additional reserves in the district

Sport and Recreation Portfolio lead Cr Charles Sturt provided the following comment:

"Our fantastic outdoor environment is one of our district's key strengths which also contributes to the lifestyle we enjoy here, with so many recreational areas right on the doorstep. There's a huge variety of choices for locals and visitors, everything from neighbourhood playgrounds, parks and youth spaces to lakeside reserves, geothermal parks, forest trails and sports facilities.

Parks Week is a great way to celebrate all that and I'd encourage everyone to get along to some of the many events that are planned.

There's been a lot of work done already to improve our parks and reserves and there's more proposed as people will see when the consultation document for Council's proposed 2018-28 Long-term Plan goes out to public consultation next week.

"I encourage those who are passionate about our parks, reserves, open spaces and recreation facilities to give feedback on the proposed projects."

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Closure of the Central Scout Group Hall

Enquiry

The following questions were asked regarding the closure of the scout hall at the Rotorua Lakefront:

• When was the Central Scout Group told that the Council's land, on which the hall is built, would need to be vacated?
• Is there a deadline time by which the group needs to vacate the land?
• What are the RLC's particular plans for the current hall site?
• What is the RLC doing to help the group relocate?
• Has the RLC offered other buildings, or land for a new hall to be built on, to the club? If so, what are they?
• Has the RLC offered to help the club pay for a demolition of the hall and relocating property inside it? If so, how much?

Response

Rotorua Lakes Council's Group Strategy Manager, Jean-Paul Gaston:

The Rotorua Central Scouts Group has been on a month-by-month lease since mid-2017 and has been aware of uncertainty about the future of its tenure at the lakefront since 2010.

This is due to various proposals for lakefront redevelopment which date back as far as 2006 when lakefront redevelopment was cited as a key component of inner city revitalisation.

A new proposal to redevelop the lakefront is included in Council's proposed 2018-28 Long-term Plan and consultation on that opens next week when we will have more information available about what's proposed. Consultation runs until 13 April and we look forward to receiving feedback from the community.

Council staff continue to explore potential solutions for the Scouts and following a meeting with the group this week identified relocation and demolition options which will need further investigation. We will continue to work with the group on a solution.

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Rotorua Community Head Count

Enquiry

Council was asked for comment regarding the Rotorua Community Head Count - specifically; what was council's involvement, do you know the results, and what will council use the results for and to do?

Also does council have a general view/opinion or policy on homelessness in the city?

About the count:

Volunteers and community groups went out to survey people sleeping in parks, cars and other places to find out how many people are living without housing in the city.

The count was co-ordinated by the Rotorua Homelessness Governance Group which is made up of key organisations like Lifewise, Lakes District Health Board, Te Arawa Whanau Ora and Housing NZ.

The group has been working on implementing the Rotorua Homeless Action Plan but a key step is understanding the size of the problem and the resources needed to support people into housing.

During the count people recorded how many homeless people were found, along with demographic details, providing a snap shot of those sleeping rough on one evening.

The information is used to write a report on rough sleeping in Rotorua. but I don't know when that's written.

Response

The following information was provided:

• Council is part of Whiria Te Aroha, a collaboration of groups working together to address issues around homelessness. This group is led by Lifewise.
• Regarding Council's involvement in the Head Count - council provided clipboards, pens and maps and supported coordinators at the base during the count. Council is also helping to collate the results for analysis which will then provide the basis for a report.
• The results will help inform Whiria Te Aroha about the number and range of people who are sleeping rough or in vehicles and some of the underpinning issues they identify. This will help when putting forward proposals for resources and services that contribute to addressing issues relating to homelessness.
• Any specific comment should come from Lifewise and/or Link People who are the experts in the field and are leading this work locally.
• Council is a member of Whiria Te Aroha, providing support and assistance, but is not leading this work and does not lead this group.
• The Ministry for Social Development and Housing NZ are the lead agencies for social issues and for housing (including social housing).

Cr Raukawa-Tait, as people portfolio lead, provided the following comment:

"The analysis of the information collected by the head count is very important. We often presume to know what rough sleepers and the homeless want. By asking them what their housing needs are, amongst other things, we get a clear picture, can start to prioritise where action must be taken and resources directed. One provider cannot do it all so collaboration is important."

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: Edited Livestream footage

Enquiry

The following questions were asked regarding edited footage of the full council meeting the day prior:

We have been sent a link of a clip from the council meeting (now apparently edited and removed) where the Mayor can be heard saying CLM will go to the high court. In relation to the aquatic centre management.

Why did the mayor say CLM would go to the high court?

Has council entered a written or verbal agreement with CLM over aquatic centre management?

Response

From CE Geoff Williams:

Suggestions a contract with CLM has already been signed and that council staff involved in an Employment Relations Authority (ERA) hearing lied about that are simply untrue. No contract has been signed and inferences to the contrary are extremely disappointing. This is merely a continuation of the misinformation, unfounded speculation and untrue allegations which have been circulated in relation to the Aquatic Centre matter.

The facts are that in November elected members made a decision to contract CLM to manage the Aquatic Centre. That decision triggered normal contracting process - council staff and CLM began contract negotiations but that process was not completed.

The council has complied fully with the agreement reached through the Employment Relations Authority and there has been no contract signed with CLM either before or since then.

This week the Council resolved to reconsider options for management of the Aquatic Centre, including the proposal put forward by the union representing some of the centre staff. We now have an additional process to undertake and will then await Council's further decision, which will determine the way forward.

Editing of meeting recordings is not usual practice as generally recording equipment is turned off during breaks, which is why meeting recordings are often in more than one part on Council's YouTube channel. Staff involved in recording this week's meeting noted the break had also been recorded and removed it as it was not part of the public meeting but there was no instruction from anyone to do so.

From Mayor Steve Chadwick:

We have a duty of care as elected members when it comes to decision-making and in opening the discussion on the Aquatic Centre during the public part of the meeting, I reminded councillors that our decision, whichever way it went, would be open to judicial review.

My conversation with Cr Sturt during the five-minute break we took following the decision was about the potential for this to happen. There was nothing more to it than that.