8 January 2020
Media: Rotorua Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Dog names
Enquiry
Bit of a fun one for the New Year I think!
Can you please provide me a list of dog's names registered to RLC in 2019?
Does the council place any restriction on the dog names registered with it?
Any related information you may think is interesting or relevant is also most welcome.
(For reference, here is a similar story from Auckland:
Response
Reporter was provided with a document providing all registered dog names and the number of dogs registered under that name (Click on THIS LINK to view dog names document) and was provided with the following additional information:
Council does not have any restrictions on names of registered dogs.
Summer tips for dog owners:
- Make sure your dog is well sheltered with access to plenty of fresh water at all times. Some dogs even require special sunscreen while out in the sun.
- Make sure your dog is microchipped and that your contact details are up to date in Council's database. This means that if your dog does go for a wander an Animal Control officer will be able to contact you as soon as possible. The current fee to microchip a dog at the Rotorua pound is $25.00.
- Before heading out check areas where dogs are permitted. Some areas are specifically for dogs to be run off their leads, some areas have restricted hours and some areas are off limits to dogs at all times. You can check that detail HERE
- There are 17 Council managed public locations within Rotorua where you may exercise your dog off a lead. Read the dog exercise brochure HERE for more detail.
- Dogs are not permitted in the CBD, Government Gardens and lakefront or children's play areas e.g. playgrounds
- During Summer more people are out and about enjoying the good weather. It is important that your dog is secure and under control when it is at home and out in public.
- Check gates and fences to make sure there are no gaps where you dog could escape.
If you see a roaming dog phone it through to 07 348 4199 to be dealt with by Council's Animal Control team
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Hemo sculpture progress
Enquiry
I am hoping to get another update on the Hemo roundabout project done this week.
What is the current combined cost of the project for all involved?
Could you please break this down in terms of who is paying what?
What parts of the budget have brought unexpected costs?
When does the council expect to have an installation date?
Is the council confident it will get approval from the NZTA and CAA for the installation?
Does the council have any regrets about the project?
Response
The following information and comment was provided:
What is the current combined cost of the project for all involved? There is no change to what has previously been confirmed (most recently in Nov 2019 - see link below)
Could you please break this down in terms of who is paying what? As above, Council contribution remains unchanged. You will need to contact other funding partners regarding their contributions.
What parts of the budget have brought unexpected costs? We presume you mean what parts of the project (rather than budget) have brought unexpected costs - see Craig's comments below and previous updates and information about the challenges that have resulted in additional costs. Daily Post also covered this in a story last March - see HERE
When does the council expect to have an installation date? See Stewart Brown's comment below regarding installation
Is the council confident it will get approval from the NZTA and CAA for the installation? See below from Stewart Brown
Does the council have any regrets about the project? This is not a question for the council organisation.
November 2019 Daily Post enquiry: This includes confirmation of cost, council budget and factors installation is dependent on. None of this has changed.
March 2019 update on Council website: This includes background + lots of information relating to reasons for increased costs/challenges faced by Kilwell in constructing the sculpture.
From Rotorua Lakes Council Arts and Culture Manager Stewart Brown:
The date and arrangements for installation are complex and dependent on several factors coming together. Our staff are working with Kilwell and the project partners to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible. [Sam see previous information provided about those factors that need to align for installation]
From Kilwell Chief Executive, Craig Wilson:
While we didn't get the sculpture finished and erected by the end of spring like we wanted, we are down to the final section which the team are really excited about.
Blending art, technology and physical manufacturing, and the fact that this is the first time it has been done anywhere in the world, means that we could not have foreseen the challenges we have come up against in this project. I am proud that our team, along with assistance from Gurit engineers, have been able to overcome each challenge in an innovative way. There has been no manual or even a similar project to compare it to - just our team doing what we do best and a bit of Kiwi innovation.
The team is now focussed on getting the last pieces finished and then it will be making sure everything is in order for the delivery to Hemo roundabout.
Working on a world first, using ground breaking technology means we aren't always going to get it right the first time. We are relying on computer-generated files that guide the 3D print machines. The printed products then require physical manufacturing to hand laminate each section. The alignment of the latest section was incorrect either in the files or in the printing process. This means the team needed to manually realign the section and re-laminate extending the finish date of the project.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Summer water use
Enquiry
I'm looking for some comment for a story about possible water restrictions in the Bay of Plenty.
- What are water reservoir levels like in Rotorua right now? How does this compare to previous years?
- How much water has Rotorua used in the last week and how does this compare to previous years? (If this information is more readily available for a different period of time ie the last month this would be sufficient too)
- Are there particular areas/suburbs in Rotorua that use more than others? Are there some businesses that are heavy water users?
- What is the possibility of water restrictions being put in place?If water levels are of concern, how soon does the council predict it might need to put water restrictions in place?
Response
The following comment and information was provided:
From Eric Cawte, Manager 3 Waters Services:
Rotorua is different from some other cities that have large water storage dams that rely on seasonal rainfall to last through the summer. Nearly all our sources are reliable springs from which we pump daily to maintain our reservoirs as full as possible. At present although we are seeing increased demand our pumps are able to keep up with consumption and the reservoirs are able to be filled each day.
There are no areas or suburbs that have noticeably higher rates of consumption than others. Some businesses by their nature require more water than others eg. commercial laundries and paint manufacturers.
Whether water restrictions are put in place depends on how much consumption increases, and this is driven largely by weather patterns. If we experience an extended dry spell we would expect to see consumption rise further. We monitor the weather and consumption, and generally inform the community that consumption is rising, and request that they are responsible with water use in and around their homes. The Rotorua community generally responds very well to this information, and it has been some years since any restrictions have been required.
Currently there is no significant rain in the forecast, so we will monitor consumption closely. At this stage we are not planning water restrictions, but if we experience a significant drought it would remain an option to be considered. We continue to encourage users to use water efficiently and eliminate water wastage, as we do all year round.
Rotorua water use facts:
- Rotorua Lakes Council manages ten separate urban and rural water supplies. These are made up of 8 springs, a bore system and a lake.
- The largest is the central city supply which has a total storage capacity of 32,000 cubic metres (1 cubic metre = 1000 litres) in ten reservoirs
- In 2019 the lowest monthly average consumption was 20,800 cubic meters per day in August, and the highest monthly average was 27,200 per day in February.
- The average daily household consumption over the year is approximately 850 litres per day.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Illegal rubbish dumping
Enquiry
I'm doing a story about illegal rubbish dumping in Rotorua - I was just wondering if the Council considered it an issue and if they were doing anything about it? What is your policy for those who dump rubbish outside charity shops or on private property?
Response
The reporter was referred to the previous response regarding illegal dumping supplied on 31 December 2019 (click THIS LINK to view 31 December response) and the following comment was also provided:
From Waste Services and Sustainability Manager, Prashant Praveen:
Unfortunately, there are always people who choose not to do the right thing. Illegal dumping in any location is a community issue that requires a long-term community ownership approach.
Council deals with illegal dumping on public land however, we do not have jurisdiction to deal with incidents of dumping on private property. These matters can be reported to the Police.
It is not a nice situation to deal with for anyone and in the past, we have helped with instances on a case-by-case basis. If anyone would like advice about illegal dumping or report incidents of illegal dumping on public land they can phone Council on 07 348 4199.
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Media: Rotorua Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Code of Conduct complaint
Enquiry
Kia ora again all, Councillor Macpherson has now made some new comments regarding the code of conduct and the formal complaint against him that require an invitation to the Council and the Mayor to respond.
- He has clarified that he had understood there would be a meeting between him and the CFO regarding the definition of rates affordability in the annual report.
- He believes that meeting was then 'turned into' a meeting about his "bad behaviour" (not to do with rates affordability) and would be between him, the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor about a code of conduct violation.
- He understands that meeting was cancelled when he refused to attend.
- He still contends the Mayor "declared a violation" and issued a "threatening letter" and the matter then dropped.
- He also says the Mayor and Deputy Mayor have "upped the ante" and changed their approach - "It's part and parcel of their approach to try to shut me up".
- He says there was "no confusion just an attempted change of subject at the behest of the CE"
Given this new information I invite the Mayor and Council / CE representatives to respond/make new comments or adjust the ones they have already made - should any of these parties wish to do so.
Response
The reporter was informed there was no additional comment from council/CE or Mayor Chadwick.
(Previous enquiry and response can be found HERE)
