9 January 2018

Media: Rotorua Review (Fairfax)

Topic: Tree fatality

Enquiry

Reporter sought confirmation and quote regarding other braced trees in Rotorua.

Response

From Rotorua Lakes Council Acting Chief Executive Craig Tiriana:

There are about 10 other trees in the district which are braced to maintain the structure of the tree. Locations of these include the lakefront, Government Gardens, Koutu Road, Jean Batten park and Stoney Point at Tarawera.

Braced trees have been checked in recent months by council contractors and these, along with others, will be assessed again as part of our post-storm checks.

Post-storm checks and the clean-up are ongoing and will include the central city as well as the wider district including parks and reserves and the roading network. Council received nearly 40 reports of damage to trees sited on street/road verges and in parks and reserves, and about the same regarding tree, branch and debris falls on roads around the district. Staff and contractors will work their way through a systematic post-storm programme of checks, clean-up and repairs.

People are urged to remain vigilant in and around forests, reserves and parks where trees may have been damaged, and caution should still be taken on the roads where risk remains for slips and treefalls due to ground saturation.

Treefalls, tree damage, debris and slips should be reported to Council on 07-348 4199 any time.

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Media: Rotorua Daily Post

Topic: National 7s tournament

Enquiry

Questions regarding the National Sevens Rugby competition that starts this weekend [in Rotorua]

How important are sporting events like this to Rotorua and why?

Has the Council contributed to this event in anyway - has it received any funding (how much) or any other support - and what has that been?

Does Rotorua have the capacity to hold more sporting events and what could that mean?

Response

From Sports Development Manager Steve Watene:

We are always looking for opportunities to add to Rotorua's events calendar and particularly look for those that are a good fit for our district, leveraging off the likes of our active environment and cultural strengths which add a point of difference.

We have a number of large sporting events scheduled for the International Stadium this year including hosting the Warriors and Chiefs in January and April. Council also has a long term commitment to bringing national tournaments to the city and events already confirmed for this year are:

• NZ Maori Basketball Tournament (Jan 2018)
• IPS North Island Touch Tournament (Jan 2018)
• NZ Maori Rugby League Tournament (Oct 2018)
• Northern Region Maori Rugby Union Tournament (Oct 2018)
• NZ Maori Touch Tournament (Oct 2018)

All these events create an active and vibrant city for our residents, especially for people interested in sports, as well as bringing in thousands of visitors to the city which results in economic and social benefits and provides important opportunities to showcase what Rotorua has to offer.

The National 7's have been hosted by Rotorua for the last five years and Council has provided support to Bay of Plenty Rugby which runs the tournament. We're pleased it will stay within the region for the next few years.

There is capacity to host more sporting events in Rotorua and we will continue to actively look for opportunities to bring other events to the district.