3 February 2022
Media: NewsHub Late
Topic: Latest border announcements
Enquiry
I am getting in touch to ask whether mayor Steve Chadwick would be available for a live interview on our programme, tonight.
We are interested to hear from some of our tourist hot spots about what today's border announcement will mean for the local economy, and the reaction on the ground today.
Queenstown usually gets the attention but I'm more interested in hearing the view from some other areas, and thought it would be nice to get the view from Rotorua.
Response
Mayor Chadwick was interviewed for the show
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Latest border announcements
Enquiry
I am working on a story about border restrictions. I have an 11am embargoed press release, which I can share with you in confidence.
I was hoping for some comment from the mayor.
The PM says fully vaccinated Kiwis and other currently eligible travellers from Australia will be able to travel to New Zealand from 11:59pm Sunday 27 February, and instead of going into MIQ, will be able to self-isolate. In step 2, just two weeks later, fully vaccinated New Zealanders and other currently eligible travellers from the rest of the world will also be able to travel into New Zealand without going through MIQ.
Are you looking forward to welcoming tourists and locals trapped overseas and why?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor, Steve Chadwick
“The Prime Minister’s announcement this morning will bring hope to many.
“The past two years have been undeniably hard and I commend the Prime Minister for today presenting a full plan, that carefully steps out the process for the rest of the year, and provides certainty to many struggling sectors and to many people who have been apart from their whānau members and loved ones for a long time now.
“Today’s announcement was much more than we expected and of course we cannot wait to welcome our international visitors back to Rotorua and to New Zealand.
“This is fantastic news for our tourism, hospitality and international education sectors. It gives us renewed hope at a time where businesses are facing very real challenges relating to record inflation rates, supply chain issues and labour shortages.
“As demand increases for tourism accommodation, it will become even more vital to address our housing challenges and get people out of situations where they are living in motels, and into homes that are fit for purpose and support full, happy and healthy lives.
“Additionally, I hope the plan announced today also signals change is on the horizon for the events industry which is struggling immensely within the current restrictions.
“I acknowledge that today’s announcement will bring a fair amount of anxiety and concern as it will also likely bring levels of COVID-19 into our community that are yet to be experienced in New Zealand. This will make adherence to public health advice and guidelines more important than ever before.
“It reinforces the need for everybody to be prepared and to follow public health advice around getting vaccinated, getting your booster, getting your children vaccinated, and using measures like mask-wearing and distancing, and having a plan in place should someone in your household test positive for COVID-19.
“We can have confidence that the plan outlined today takes a measured and stepped approach which allows us time to adjust and respond to each stage as needed.
“As the COVID-19 situation evolves globally we must also continue to adjust and progress with it. This will be another challenging year, but the Rotorua community has remained resilient throughout the response so far, and I have no doubt that this year will be any different.”
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Media: Rotorua Weekender
Topic: Aotearoa Bike Challenge
Enquiry
I’m looking to do a story on the Aotearoa Bike Challenge and encouraging locals to take part – I saw the Safe and Sustainable Journeys team had posted about it, so wondered if I can get a few comments from them to the following questions?
- -Why is the Aotearoa Bike Challenge a fun one to take part in/why would you encourage people to get among it?
- -Why is an event like the Aotearoa Bike Challenge a great initiative? How can more people biking help out our community?
- -The Rotorua Bike Festival events are also hopefully coming up – how does it feel to have February so jam-packed with biking opportunities for the community?
Is there anything you would like to add?
Response
From Niki Carling, Environmental Health Performance Manager:
Why is the Aotearoa Bike Challenge a fun one to take part in/why would you encourage people to get among it?
Why is an event like the Aotearoa Bike Challenge a great initiative? How can more people biking help out our community?
The National Aotearoa Bike Challenge is free for anyone to take part. For clubs and workplaces it can provide a bit of friendly competition. Sign up online and track your individual and your workplace’s biking success during the month of February. Encouraging your colleagues or other workplaces to take part will earn you bonus points.
There are prizes to be won just for taking part in the challenge, as well as grand prizes for being one of the top riders in distance and frequency. Find out more about Aotearoa Bike Challenge on their website HERE, and see a list of this year’s prizes HERE.
Council uses the Bike Challenge as a way of encouraging staff to use bikes to commute to work and for other short trips. We would love to see more organisations doing the same.
The Rotorua Bike Festival events are also hopefully coming up – how does it feel to have February so jam-packed with biking opportunities for the community? Is there anything you would like to add?
Riding a bike has many benefits; it’s good for your health, your pocket, and the environment. The flat, condensed landscape of Rotorua is ideal for active travel, and more people are realising just how easy it is to bike or walk around our city. Increasing sustainable modes of travel is a key aim of Council and provides personal wellbeing and environmental benefits, with transport being the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in our district.
Bike events are a fun and social introduction to the many benefits of biking, and an opportunity for people to experience our city in a different way. It is exciting to have such a range of events available for all levels of ability.
Our Frocks on Bikes social ride will showcase the expanding shared path network that stretches across the city. You can find out more about all the Rotorua Bike Festival events HERE.
Riding a bike can be daunting for those who haven’t picked up a bike in a while, or have never learned. The Safe and Sustainable Journeys team at Council offers cycling skills training/ education, maintenance workshops and events to support people of all ages and abilities to be able to ride.
Follow @SafeandSustainableJourneysRotorua for more news and events and biking opportunities.
We are currently undertaking a survey to gather information on how local people travel to and from the Rotorua Central Business District and why they choose one mode of transport over another. Information gathered will inform how improvements can be made to enable people to travel more sustainably for short trips. Survey participants go in the draw to win one of four $200 vouchers for a local business of your choice. The survey closes Sunday 13 February at 5pm.
More information about the CBD Travel Survey here.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Council's proposed waste management plan
Enquiry
NOTE: This enquiry is a follow up from yesterday’s enquiry about the same topic:
Just wanted to double check if there was a known cost involved with the kerbside organic waste collection? Specifically, for setting up an advanced composting facility and relocating and upgrading the recycling centre?
How will these be funded? (Initial cost and ongoing?)
Response
From DCE Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions Stavros Michael:
The cost of introducing an organic waste collection service is currently being investigated, and options for how the new service is to be funded will form part of the public consultation process.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Water restrictions
Enquiry
Reporter requested attributable comment about the current status of water restrictions in Rotorua (a follow up to an earlier request this week). The reporter also requested information about when the last formal water restriction was put in place by Rotorua Lakes Council
Response
From Eric Cawte – Manager, Infrastructure Networks Performance
As most drinking water supplies in Rotorua are sourced from underground springs, short-term weather changes do not generally have a significant impact on their outputs. However, the rate at which our community uses water can impact our ability to maintain supplies, so it is always important for our community to use water sensibly with the wider impacts on the environment and infrastructure in mind.
All of the springs that provide our drinking water also supply natural water courses such as the Utuhina, Puarenga, Awahou and Hamurana streams. Ensuring that our community conserves water where possible helps to ensure that the impact on those water courses is kept to a minimum.
Info re water restrictions:
We cannot recall the last time a water restriction was put in place by Rotorua Lakes Council – we can say there have been no restrictions put in place for at least the past decade. At times it has been necessary to ask residents to minimise water use due increasing use or while work is carried out on infrastructure but again, no formal restrictions.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Community safety concerns in Rotoma
Enquiry
We've received calls from Lake Rotoma residents with complaints about how youths are using four-wheel drives around the lake, driving through bird nests, leaving rubbish along the lakeside, hunting, drinking and engaging in unsafe behaviour.
The residents say they have raised these issues with the council. They understand that solutions are being worked on but are impatient and say nothing is happening fast enough.
I was not sure whether Bay of Plenty Regional Council or Lakes District Council has authority over these matters. So I thought to send my request to both teams.
In light of the above, it would be most helpful if a response to the following queries could be received before 4pm this afternoon:
- Has the council received complaints about these incidents?
- Anecdotally, have there been an increase in complaints of this nature over the last two years?
- What is being done to respond to these complaints?
- Does the council have a response to these comments:
- Solutions are too slow in coming
- It seems like they want to pass the buck between DOC, and the Council
- Nothing is being done
Response
From District Development, Deputy Chief Executive, Jean-Paul Gaston:
- Yes
- Yes, we understand that due to the lake levels being significantly lower this year, more people have been accessing the area around Lake Rotomā.
- The reported issues at Lake Rotomā relate to littering, vehicles accessing private or Crown land, lighting fires, dangerous driving, antisocial behaviour and illegal camping. The challenge in responding is that these issues are managed by a number of authorities including Council, Department of Conservation, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the Police, as well as private landowners. There are also multiple land holdings and legal requirements to consider.
Resolution of the reported issues requires a collaborative approach by the organisations that each have the individual authority to respond. Council is investigating what mechanisms could be used in the short, medium and long term to respond to the issues and is in the process of engaging the wider group of organisations involved.
Key information:
- In relation to the reported issues, Council has authority over the paper road which follows the lake edge from Manawahe Road around the eastern edge of the lake.
- From investigations, any move to close or restrict that paper road would require engagement with adjoining landowners, mana whenua, other organisations, as well as formal Council resolution from elected members.
- Council manages litter on public land and is looking into ways to extract the rubbish from within the vegetation to be disposed of. As some of this rubbish is on private land it may require engagement with landowners to authorise access.
- Council staff have been in touch with those people who have made contact with Council about the issues, as well as Rotorua Lakes Community Board and other organisations involved. We are also working on community information to encourage responsible behaviour for all who choose to use the area.
- Council is currently working with the Police and the Harbour Master to investigate potential solutions, and we encourage anyone to report unsafe or illegal behaviour to Police using the 111 and 105 numbers.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Black Swan Hotel purchase
Enquiry
I am writing an article about Matthew from Prince Gate Hotel group purchasing the Black Swan Hotel in December 2021 - the group's third property now in Rotorua alongside its significant commercial portfolio in the city's CBD.
Black Swan was re-opened on 15th December 2021 and Matthew says it has been running at near 100% occupancy since re-opening following some troublesome years - 4 full time staff have been hired with positions yet to be filled.
The restaurant will also be re-opening first week of February catering to guests and locals with unique offerings.
The acquisition ensures accommodation options remain for locals and visitors supporting much-needed tourism for the region, Matt says.
May I please have some comment from the mayor about this acquisition and what it means to the Rotorua tourism and accommodation sector?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick:
It’s encouraging to see the confidence in property of this calibre, and it’s good to see people pushing ahead despite these challenging times.
Reporter was also encouraged to reach out to RED to find out more about the impact on tourism and the accomodation sector.