8 November 2021
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Housing
Enquiry
*NOTE: This is a follow on from Friday’s enquiry [see HERE].
Reporter asked the following revised questions:
- What are the main things the council is doing in response to the housing crisis, as relates to the use of motels for emergency housing?
- What are the main things the council is doing to increase housing supply generally?
- What results of this work will the community see first, and when?
What does the council see as the future of emergency housing in Rotorua in the short and long term?
Does the council see a move away from the motel model at some stage, and if so when and what will it take?
Response
From District Development DCE Jean-Paul Gaston:
No one wants to see people having to live in motels, but we are facing a housing crisis, and while there is a significant lack of available and affordable homes for people, it is a temporary solution to an alternative that is unacceptable – people and families living in cars and on the streets.
Council has always made it clear that using motels as emergency accommodation is not a long-term solution. The critical need is to enable more houses to be built as soon as possible.
It is not an either/or situation. We have continued to lobby and push for a better approach towards emergency housing provision which resulted in the Rotorua Housing Taskforce, while working in parallel to enable landowners, developers and central Government to respond rapidly to the current and projected number of homes that we need in Rotorua.
Some of the key challenges we are facing are; the availability of land to develop new residential areas, limited infrastructure to cope with current and future demand, and a significant lack of public housing. The community is already seeing Council respond to those challenges through major infrastructure upgrades, increased investment in public housing by Kāinga Ora, District Plan changes and new residential subdivisions coming online.
The thousands of homes that this city needs right now are not going to be built overnight. It’s going to take the culmination of the work that is underway or in progress, along with everyone working together towards the same goal, to achieve the outcome that the city needs - more choice of homes for all members of our community.
More information to answer your question: What results of this work will the community see first, and when?
Please note that this work is either led by Council or part of a collaborative work together with central Government, Te Arawa or other partners. This work is either underway or complete.
- King Street stormwater upgrade
- Te Ngae Road upgrades
- Pukehangi Heights Plan Change (PC2)
- Eastside Community Wellness Plan
- Kāinga Ora development at Ranolf/Malfroy
- Rotorua Housing Taskforce
- Linton Park detention dam upgrade
- Infrastructure Acceleration Fund applications
- Supporting infrastructure for Wharenui Rise development
- Expression of Interest process for inner city living opportunities
- Removal of minimal parking requirements in the CBD
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Museum director role
Enquiry
Just seeking some further comment from Council about Lizzie Marvelly stepping down as director.
What will happen to Lizzie's role?
Will council be recruiting or is there someone lined up to take on this job?
Response
From CE Geoff Williams:
We are working through what needs to happen now and will share details once all is finalised.