31 May 2019

Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Homelessness

Enquiry

This week has marked a year since the hikoi for homeless and I was hoping to get some questions your way and if I could get them back no later than tomorrow afternoon that would be great.

• How do you view the issue of homelessness in our city since the hikoi for homeless?
• What more can be done to help this sector of our community?
• With the night shelter on Pukuatua St has some residents saying an increased presence of violence and "unruly behaviour". What are other initiatives the council would like to implement to help this problem to ensure everybody feels safe?

Response

From Mayor Steve Chadwick:

Working in partnership with others is the key to having a positive impact and Council has worked alongside others to facilitate and provide whatever support possible to agencies and groups providing relevant services locally.

Homelessness is complex and requires a multi-agency approach to deal with the multiple issues involved and there is a lot of good work being done by a lot of good people.

Night shelters are not a long-term solution and we support the Ministry for Social Development's Housing First initiative launched recently in Rotorua. It took a while to get this in place and I have yet to meet with the providers but look forward to seeing how this progresses.

It is also pleasing to see there is progress on building additional social housing in Rotorua and Council is working with Housing NZ to progress this as quickly as possible.

We are aware of other housing developments being planned or processed so I hope we will soon see an uplift in building of new homes which will free up existing housing. There is a strong link between roading and housing and we will continue working with NZTA on roading solutions that will also enable development decisions.

We are also continuing to work closely with the police to provide a safe inner city environment. Anti-social behaviour is often attributed to homeless people but that's not always accurate and we encourage people to call the police if they see the likes of intimidation or aggression. Police are not always being made aware of issues as they occur.

I encourage residents to contribute to efforts to help those affected by homelessness by, for example, donating to the Salvation Army and food banks and working with Housing First if they have rental housing opportunities. We can all have an impact.

The Government's 2019 Budget will add further to what's already in place with boosts for mental health service provision and benefits.

Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: New national tenancy laws

Enquiry

I am doing a piece for the weekend about how it will be a month until new tenancy laws coming in, mainly for insulation standards. As part of this I am talking to Sustainability Options about how it helps improve housing performance in Rotorua. I was hoping to please get some comment from the appropriate person at the Rotorua Lakes Council about how it works with Sustainability Options.

My questions are:

When did the Rotorua Lakes Council start working with Sustainability Options?

What has Sustainability Options done for the council since?

Why is this work important?

Does the council pay Sustainability Options, if so what is it paid currently?

Response

Comment from Sustainability Portfolio lead Councillor Tania Tapsell:

"Our work with Sustainability Options is important because it gives free, independent advice to locals to check if their homes are safe and healthy. Because we work in partnership with local health services and iwi, this service has also connected families to opportunities for other subsidised home improvement services like insulation and heating."

Information:

• This work supports the 2030 vision goal of Homes That Match Needs and is part of Council's sustainable living strategy.
  
• Council started working with Sustainability Options in 2017 and they have provided education/information sessions and workshops, home performance assessments and advice.
  
• In the year ending June 2018, 179 assessments (exceeding the target of 100) were completed and 12 workshops held.
  
• The 179 Home Performance visits focussed on a range of issues; from renovations, to healthy homes, leaking gutters, high power bills, cold, damp, mould, ventilation systems, what heating to consider, and a range of other enquiries. Each visit took between 60 – 90 minutes. All visits were followed up, either by email, a partner agency, written information, or a phone call. Some homes have been visited 2-3 times, to ensure delivery against expectation.
  
• BOP Regional Council also purchases assessments from Sustainability Options specific to the requirements of the Air Quality programme and this is complementary to the overall programme; there were 250 of those assessments in the same period funded by BOPRC.
  
• Sustainability Options provides independent advice that is adapted to people's circumstances and areas of concern.
  
• They have links to other community services and can refer to a wide range of other services such as Curtain Bank, BOPRC Heat Swap where eligible.
  
• The uptake of this programme of work has been excellent and council has received great feedback.
  
• Sustainability Options has a contract with Council that runs from 1 March 2017 to 30 June 2020 for up to $75,000 per full year, dependent on the number of assessments completed.

Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Paradise Valley roadworks

Enquiry

For what reasons has the completion of the roadworks been held up further (than the expected completion in March)?

Is the project still costing $1m only? Or is the council paying more?

Anything else they'd like to add.

Clarification sought after receiving initial response:

Can I just clarify that the council is only paying 25 per cent of the $1.4m?

And do you know when that sum went up?

Response

From Rotorua Lakes Council general manager infrastructure Stavros Michael:

Last year's 29 April storm in Rotorua caused a large underslip on Paradise Valley Road and this has required major works to stabilise and reinstate the road. This followed previous storm-related damage to this stretch of road which was still under repair at the time of the April weather event.

Only final sealing of the road remains to be undertaken. This involves final trimming and preparation of the surface for sealing. Completion will be dependent on weather and availability of equipment, materials and contractors required for sealing but this work is expected to be undertaken early next month.

As often occurs with roadworks, this project has had some weather delays and has been further delayed by additional challenges at the site, including soil saturation, a groundwater spring under the road formation that required special management and controls to avoid a major road collapse, and further slope erosion which occurred during construction and required the road to be closed for a period due to safety concerns. Unscheduled road-widening which had to be undertaken was finished prior to Christmas, along with ground stabilisation works above and below the road.

Most recently, work was delayed to facilitate the adjacent landowner with options to reinstate property access.

Once the road has been sealed Rotorua Lakes Council will install guardrail as an additional safety measure at the site.

The final cost is expected to be $1.4m. The additional cost was due to continued instability of the site that occurred during construction requiring a change in the design. This was largely due to health and safety concerns regarding working below an unstable slip face and Rotorua Lakes Council must ensure the safety of staff and contractors working on any site. The project is funded from an emergency work budget with NZTA meeting 75% of the costs.

This work was part of a wider emergency works allocation of funds to Rotorua Lakes Council which covered a number of sites across the district. The full package of works – which has included major and minor works on Tarawera Road, work on two bridges and a culvert in Rerewhakaaitu and works on Mountain, Mangatete, Parsons and Waiotapu Loop Road – is nearing completion.

Response to subsequent questions:

Re cost of Paradise Valley Rd works: Yes Council 25% of cost, NZTA 75%

Re when cost went up: The design and cost was varied early in 2019 after heavy rain over Christmas led to further stability problems.