16 February 2022
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Six60 concert postponement
Enquiry
I'm following up on the news re Six 60's postponed concert and keen to get some comment from the mayor in response to this.
Can you please tell us:
- what impact do you think this will have on Rotorua?
- would you consider the concert to have been one of the biggest events of the year for Rotorua? If so, why? If not, why not?
- how disappointing is this news, in your view?
- were you involved in anyway with organisers in trying to get the concert to work? If so, please elaborate.
Response
From Rotorua Mayor, Steve Chadwick
“It is disappointing that Six60 Saturdays has had to be postponed, I know many people were very much looking forward to the Rotorua show and it would have been a fantastic way to see out the summer.
“However with increasing rates of Omicron in the community, continuing with the red traffic light restrictions around events is the safest option for us right now.
“While this is a blow for fans, the events industry, local businesses and the band, not all is lost as we can still look forward to the event taking place later in the year. The health and safety of people is paramount, and I hope that by November we will be in a much better position to continue safely with the concerts and events we enjoy so much.”
Please note: Mayor Chadwick has not been involved in the organisation of this event.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Use of motels for housing
Enquiry
Following on from Monday’s request – the reporter offered Council the right of reply as follows:
I have just this morning spoken to Rotorua MP Todd McClay and Trevor Newbrook from Restore Rotorua and both of them are critical of either the council or MHUD (see below). In the interests of fairness and balance, I'd like to put their responses to you in case you wanted to add anything to your response.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the situation felt worse, not better, and the public had grown more concerned.
He had a recent meeting with St Chads Trust, which runs an organisation in the Fenton St area that supports people with disabilities, and they have had to go into lockdown four times, the most recent occasion was when there was a gang brawl that spilled out on to the street in front of them.
He said the fight involved weapons and gang members in colours.
McClay said in his opinion promises the Government made last year to make emergency housing better hadn't eventuated.
The issue of resource consent for Government-contracted motels was a confusing one.
"If a member of the public decided to do what they were going to do anyway, I would expect the council to prosecute them and quickly. In this case, it is dragging on and on and it feels like it is one law for law abiding ratepayers and another one for the Government when it comes to our council."
He said by the time this is looked at, it would be more than six months and he said the delay was because the council was now aware of the significant and growing community concern in the public.
"These consents must be notified or it would be a huge injustice, which is likely to be felt at the local government elections later this year."
Restore Rotorua chairman Trevor Newbrook said it was convenient the process was taking a long time as it allowed the Government to contract the motels and 'get on with business as usual" in the meantime - without resource consent.
"For locals nothing has changed. It's certainly not got any better that's for sure."
Response
Reporter was advised that there was no further comment to add to Monday’s response.
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Media: Rotorua Weekender
Topic: Toi Ohomai initiative to reduce plastic waste
Enquiry
I’m getting in touch as I’m working on a story with the Melting Pot Café at Toi Ohomai – the have banned plastic straws and single-use takeaway cups over the past years and are now working with Volcanic Creamery to reduce the single-use milk bottles being used at the campus.
In doing so it will prevent an average of 140 single-use milk bottles per week from going to landfill/and or recycling centres.
I’m not sure how possible it will be to get some comment today, but if possible I’d love to add in a few comments from a council spokesperson around:
- Why is it great to see businesses and institutions taking initiative with their waste use?
- Why is it important for us as a community to work together to reduce plastic use and waste?
- What are some easy ways businesses and households can take a step towards being more sustainable/reduce waste?
Response
From Niki Carling, Environmental Health Performance Manager:
Why is it great to see businesses and institutions taking initiative with their waste use?
Each year, 16,000 tonnes of municipal waste is sent to landfill in Rotorua and over 5,000 tonnes of recyclable materials is diverted from the landfill via the kerbside service. Waste is the third largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in our district so every effort that our community can make to reduce waste makes a difference.
Plastics still make up about 7.9% of our kerbside waste stream; much of this is single-use plastic that cannot currently be recycled. Council applauds the initiative taken by the Melting Pot and other businesses that are working to reduce their use of single-use plastics. They are demonstrating great leadership in helping to reduce waste sent to landfill.
Why is it important for us as a community to work together to reduce plastic use and waste?
Rotorua Lakes Council provides a range of services and facilities to encourage effective waste management and minimisation. However, population growth, increased economic activity and increased tourism all impact the amount of waste generated in Rotorua. We know that the increasing waste volume is not sustainable, and it is important that we all work together to reduce wherever possible the use of materials that cannot be reused or recycled.
What are some easy ways businesses and households can take a step towards being more sustainable/reduce waste?
We encourage businesses and the community to think about the 3R’s of waste management - reduction, reuse, recycling.
- Reduce
The best thing we can do is to reduce the problem at source through the purchasing decisions that we make. Choose products with less packaging. Say no to bottled water. Use reusable containers rather than food wrap. Avoid buying single-use products that will soon be in landfill.
- Reuse
Find ways to reuse items rather than throwing them out. Donate clothes and toys no longer used by your children to an op shop, or have a garage sale. Reuse glass jars, bread bags, plastic containers.
- Recycling
Clean plastics (grades 1,2 and 5), cardboard, paper, glass, aluminium and steel cans can all be put out in your kerbside recycling.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Building consents data for January
Enquiry
Reporter requested building consent data for January 2022
Response
The following information was provided:
- The total value of commercial consents issued in January 2022 - $14,356,000
- The total value of residential consents issued in January 2022 - $7,271,500
- The total number of commercial consents issued in January 2022 - 12
- The total number of residential consents issued in January 2022 – 46
Top commercial consents
Project | Address | Value |
NEW CIVIL WORKS FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT | Pukehangi Road | $7,500,000 |
STAGE 2 CIVIL DRAINAGE, UNDERFLOOR PLUMBING, FOUNDATIONS, SUPERSTRUCTURE | 270 Te Ngae Road | $3,029,000 |
PARTIAL DEMOLITION, RECLAD AND REFURBISHMENT – TURNERS | 48 FAIRY SPRINGS ROAD | $1,500,000 |
REPLACE ROOF, DEMOLISH AND RE-DEVELOP TOILET BLOCK | 249 OLD TAUPO ROAD | $1,000,000 |
NEW COMMERCIAL BUILDING – 3 UNITS | 15 WATERFOD STREET | $900,000 |
REPLACE ROOF CANOPY | $200,000 | |
ALTER OFFICE IN OLDER PERSONS AND REHAB SERVICE | 5 PUKEROA STREET | $80,000 |
INTERNAL ALTERATIONS | 65 HYLAND CRESCENT | $50,000 |
INTERNAL ALTERATIONS – BOULEVARD MOTEL BLOCK G | 5 SEDDON STREET | $40,000 |
INTERNAL ALTERATIONS – BOULEVARD MOTEL BLOCK F | 3 SEDDON STREET | 30,000 |