3 February 2020
Media: Rotorua-based Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Overdue rates payments
Enquiry
Follow up questions to overdue rates enquiry answered on Friday 31 January. (See previous enquiry and response HERE)
Could I please also have some attributable quotes speaking to this data?
Questions for prompt should you need:
- Why is it important to pay rates on time?
- How much of an issue is it for the council when people don't pay their rates?
- Can you tell me a bit more about that oldest outstanding unpaid rates bill - is the council in contact with that person, and do we know why they won't pay? How much does that bill have to be before it goes to court?
Follow up clarification:
I'm a bit confused by this and was wondering if you could help clarify it for me:
"The Instalment Penalty is calculated on the outstanding amount of the instalment only, it is only the arrears penalty that charges penalty on a penalty."
I'm trying to marry this up to what it says on the website:
"A 10% penalty applies to any part of a quarterly rates invoice not paid by the due date specified on that invoice."
Can I clarify which is the 10 % penalty, the instalment penalty and the arrears penalty? Are they all the same thing, or separate?
So, say you have a rates bill of $300 due on August 20 and you don't pay it by that date. Is it an instalment penalty of 10% that is applied to the $300 from that date? Therefore bringing the total to $330?
Is the arrears penalty on top of that?
Further clarification:
Also, can you clarify what this sentence means:
"Rotorua Lakes Council sent 797 ratepayers/properties to the mortgage holders (banks) which equated to $672,498.43 for the 2018/2019 year. 2019/2020 data is still being processed."
What does 'sent ratepayers to mortgage holders' mean? Does this mean the council forced payment through mortgages? Can you please simplify the language here?
Response
Clarification provided:
The instalment penalty is 10% of what's outstanding from each quarterly rates instalment.
The arrears penalty is 10% of the total outstanding amount which is calculated twice a year. This includes any outstanding rates instalments as well as outstanding instalment penalties.
Regarding sending ratepayers to mortgage holders: This means we have contacted the banks of ratepayers with mortgages, who have not paid their rates, and have asked the banks to help us make contact with these ratepayers to try and facilitate payment.
From Council's Chief Financial Officer Thomas Coll:
Why is it important to pay rates on time?
"Rates are the contribution that residents make towards the services that local councils provide to the community. Some of the services provided by Rotorua Lakes Council include, rubbish and recycling, road, street and footpath maintenance, sewerage and waste, water services, animal control, building services, cemetery maintenance, civil defence and emergency services, a public library, and much more.
"It is important to pay rates on time to ensure people do not incur penalties."
How much of an issue is it for the council when people don't pay their rates?
"Much of council's budgeting and expenditure is based on expected revenue from rates so it is important that this income stream remains consistent to support our programme of work and allows us to provide the above essential services to the city."
Can you tell me a bit more about that oldest outstanding unpaid rates bill - is the council in contact with that person, and do we know why they won't pay? How much does that bill have to be before it goes to court?
"Over the years, our rates collection staff have made multiple attempts to work with this ratepayer to come up with a payment plan that works for them, however this has been unsuccessful to date. This is a complex case and due to privacy considerations we cannot provide further information."
________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Gangs in the Bay of Plenty
Enquiry
I am doing a story about gangs in the Bay of Plenty following a post by Tenby Powell on Facebook who has linked the rise in violence and organised crime to meth. We are speaking to him too.
Rotorua has an active gang population and had the following questions for you:
- How do you feel about the gangs and their activity in Rotorua?
- What concerns you?
- What challenges does this bring you as a mayor in keeping the population safe and creating an inviting city for people to live and visit?
- What needs to be done about it? How?
- How will the council be helping? Can I please have examples of this?
Response
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
We are aware of the presence of gangs in the city and have confidence in our local police force who are working hard to overcome the challenges this creates. We continue to meet regularly with police to discuss and coordinate on all matters relating to safety in Rotorua and our collaborative inner city safety initiative has remained in place throughout the busy summer period to help ensure the CBD is a safe and inviting place to be.
Information on gang related activity and actions to address this should be referred to the police. ________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: First 100 days of the Council triennium
Enquiry
Reporter requested information from Mayor Chadwick about the first 100 days of her triennium.
Response
Please find comment from the Mayor below regarding work to date since the election. Please note that the 100 days concludes on 10 March 2020 (100 working days since election). More about this programme of work will be discussed at the full Council hui in February and the Mayor would be happy to speak with you about this further following that hui.
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
My focus has been on setting the direction to enable development of a work programme to deliver on our priorities.
The 2030 vision Council set with our community in 2013 remains in place and will be extended to 2050 to ensure we remain future-focussed.
Elected members have shared their aspirations and how they want to contribute to the vision and direction and a very comprehensive induction gave elected members a good understanding of their roles, how the council organisation operates, key work and projects planned and underway, and the challenges our district faces.
That process enabled us to set our priorities for this term and set governance structures and appointments to support that.
We have two key priorities - one around creating liveable communities with housing the key component to drive that outcome and ensure people have homes that match needs and that people are connected and have access to facilities and services. The other priority is finishing what we've already started, continuing the work set out in the 2018-28 Long-term Plan.
We have set our governance structure (ie committees, chairs and deputies), appointed elected member leads in key areas of work related to priority areas and have set the context of Council's financial strategy to underpin what needs to be achieved.
So the stage is set to enable staff to develop a detailed work programme to deliver the outcomes we are seeking and that will come back to us for approval in the coming months.
Development of a district housing plan, led by Council with input and support from Central Government, its agencies and key stakeholders like iwi, is progressing and many of our long-term plan projects are also well underway, including stormwater upgrades, lakefront and forest developments, planning for Aquatic Centre upgrades and work on our museum and performing arts centre. We have also continued to work with NZTA to progress towards work starting on Te Ngae Road.
So it has been an intensive few months and there is a lot to achieve but I am confident we have made a very positive start.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Weekender (Daily Post)
Topic: Frocks on Bikes event
Enquiry
I'm getting in touch as I'm after some comment from the CyWay team if possible around both the upcoming Frocks on Bikes event on February 15 and the Aotearoa Bike Challenge running throughout February. A few questions below:
- For those who don't know, what is Frocks on Bikes all about?
- Why do you encourage people to come along to the Frocks on Bikes event on February 15?
- Why is it important to celebrate and raise awareness of local shared paths like the Linton Park one?
- Why would you encourage locals to get involved in the Aotearoa Bike Month/Challenge throughout February?
- What are the benefits of getting out biking as transport?
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response
Council's Safe and Sustainable Journeys Manager Jodie Lawson was interviewed for this article. The information below was covered:
For those who don't know, what is Frocks on Bikes all about?
The SASJ team offers many opportunities each year to encourage new users to riding on our urban network. Frocks on bikes is all about Fun, Fine Weather, Friends and a Frock should you be inclined to dress up (It is optional). Each of our rides targets different audiences and in the last 12 months the team has run the Tweed Ride, Diwali Ride and the Dementia Ride. We take all the stress away and remove the barriers that prevent people from having a go. For more info you can reach the team on cycling@rotorualc.nz
Why do you encourage people to come along to the Frocks on Bikes event on February 15?
The summer ride is generally our most popular due the weather and people's motivation to get out and give something new a go. This year we will be riding the newly built Linton park shared path which is wide enough for you ride side by side and be completely separated from traffic.
Why is it important to celebrate and raise awareness of local shared paths like the Linton Park one?
We are working towards building a connected urban network to enable people to get to the places they want to go by bike or foot. Raising awareness of these projects as they are completed is important as it makes people aware of an alternate attractive transport option to them for recreation and daily commute. The local residents around Linton Park shared path are already enjoying the facelift of the existing track completed at the end of last year. Future planned projects will connect this path on to the network.
Why would you encourage locals to get involved in the Aotearoa Bike Month/Challenge throughout February?
Riding a bike has many benefits, it's good for your health, your pocket and the environment. The National ABC run challenge is a really good motivator as it puts you in contact with others doing the same activity as you and through that connection you can encourage and compete against others as individuals, groups and organisations. This year RLC has set the goal of winning a national title - it's ambitious but I know we have the capability based on the recent active modes commute challenge we did.
What are the benefits of getting out biking as transport?
Less congestion on our roads, better for our environment and improved health and financial benefits for the users.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Riding a bike can be daunting for those who have not been raised in a riding family. Our team offers skills and education programmes to support people of all ages and ability, maintenance workshops to help you keep your bike rolling and a friendly ear to provide guidance when you encounter any bike related barriers or issues you want support with. It's just how we roll.. #Ride With Us
________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post, BOP Times, NZ Herald)
Topic: Coronavirus travel ban
Enquiry
I'm working on a story about the impact of the Coronavirus travel ban. Could I please get the following regarding the impact of the travel ban on local tourism?
- What impact will the travel ban have on local tourism businesses? Given the ban will be in place for up to 14 days and will be reviewed every 48 hours, how concerned are businesses?
- What estimates do you have on the amount of money that might be lost to the Rotorua economy as a result of the ban?
Response
From Rotorua Economic Development Chief Executive Michelle Templar:
The health and safety of locals and visitors remains the number one priority so we are continuing to take the advice of the Ministry of Health and Tourism New Zealand, and keep our local industry informed about their recommendations.
The latest travel advisory from MFAT will impact the number of Chinese arrivals to Rotorua over the short term and we're encouraging the industry to keep us up to date on impacts from the coronavirus on their business so that we can shape our destination response.
China has always been an important international market for Rotorua and remains a key part of our long term visitor strategy. China is the fourth highest source of international visitors to Rotorua, with Chinese tourists last year contributing nearly $40m to the Rotorua economy. We are focused on growing more free independent travel visitors from China coming to Rotorua in place of large tour groups, although group travel remains part of the mix.
Rotorua has a resilient tourism and hospitality sector and, for many businesses, domestic visitors are their largest contributor. We continue to work in partnership with the local tourism and hospitality industry to promote Rotorua's diverse range of experiences to domestic holiday makers and to increase visitation from Australia, North America and our key international markets.
I'd also encourage locals to support local businesses that might be impacted, and to show kindness to visitors and to each other so that we can continue to provide the manaakitanga that's such an important part of the Rotorua experience.
