10 August 2023
Media: US travel writer
Topic: Whakarewarewa Forest Loop app
Enquiry
US-based travel writer who writes for the likes of Conde Nast Traveller, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine and other publications, wanted to know more about the recently launched Whakarewarewa Forest Loop app.
We provided her with links to our media release about the APP and RotoruaNZ and Great Rides of New Zealand links with information about the forest loop trail.
She had the following questions:
Why did you think an app was necessary?
What is the significance of this particular trail within local culture/history?
Why was it important to collaborate with members of local iwi when developing the app?
How did the members of the local iwi contribute to the project? (Please give specific examples, if possible.)
Will new stories and interactive features be added to the app? Do you have any details on what these will be?
Response
Enquiry was referred to RotoruaNZ who provided the following information:
The app is part of suite of changes we were making to our overall mountain biking experience in or increase accessibility, understanding and overall enjoyment. Culture is a key pillar of our identity in Rotorua, we are surrounded by phenomenal histories, stories and story tellers. We wanted to elevate the experience our manuhiri (visitors) could have on our Great Ride beyond providing simple wayfinding and truly provide a tool which enables accessibility and understanding, leading to much higher levels of enjoyment.
The trail itself is just a link between some amazing landmarks of cultural significance. Like the story of Kataore, who was a taniwha (Māori for dragon like being) how local Māori believed lived in cave on the nearby and roamed the area. The app allows people to learn his unique story and that of Tangaroamihi, the first settler who became his friend. Kataore is powerful part of local Māori lore and both he and Tangaroamihi are honoured and respected by having sections of this trail named after them.
Collaboration is all part of the unique and beautiful partnership between local Māori iwi and the Rotorua Lakes Council. To really develop this app, where it had genuine depth and meaning was to work in partnership. This allowed our iwi partners to lead our projected in terms of storytelling, values and ensured authenticity. This is positive partnership in action.
[Local iwi] have been part of the development of the trail and the app from day 1. From route design, guidance on berm shaping through to writing and sharing all of their stories for the app, the iwi have been integral to the entire project.
The app will constantly evolve with technology and as new portions of our trail are developed. This is only stage 1 and we look forward to working closely with iwi again on any new future developments in this space.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Crime in Glenholme
Enquiry
I've received a copy of the following email from Carolyne Hall yesterday who is very concerned there appears to be an increase of people living in MSD motels which has, in her opinion, had a trickle down impact on crime in the Glenholme area.
This is following a number of cars being broken into on Monday night. Police confirmed with me last night there were eight cars broken into in the area. Carolyne said it was a lot more as many of the residents didn't report it to police.
She told me you were going to call a meeting today.
Can I please get some comment from you firstly in reaction to her email and what you will do about it. And depending on the time of the meeting today, some updated comment about any outcomes.
I will also contact MSD and ask them if the numbers appear to have increased in recent weeks.
I note the June Rotorua Temporary Housing Dashboard figures, which is the most recent public figures we have, show not much changed month-on-month.
I also note the graph for the number of people in MSD housing shows there was a big drop from February to December last year, but it's not changed significantly since. There was a big drop immediately after the accord was signed, but then it's remained steady, dropping just small amounts.
There are also still 11 motels with emergency housing that aren't contracted motels. While I'm not sure how many of these are mixed use, it remains still 11 motels when there are 13 contracted motels that aren't at capacity.
I won't give you a deadline because I guess it depends on your meeting time, but I know you always get back to us in a timely fashion. Hopefully you can send me some initial response this morning and then something after your meeting.
Feel free to give a call if you think that's easier.
Response
From Mayor Tania Tapsell:
We have significantly improved where we were one year ago, motel numbers have dropped and recent surveys show that business confidence has improved.
“It’s deeply disappointing that recent incidents of crime have overshadowed this progress.
“Over the last 3 months (May, June, July) no one from outside of Rotorua has entered emergency housing motels. Since March, around 72 adults have actually exited from motels.
“I appreciate that Glenholme residents are angry at recent incidents of crime. These incidents are unacceptable. Everyone should be able to feel safe in their homes and neighbourhoods.
“While we’re seeing an unacceptable level of crime country wide, to address this locally we’ve been supporting Police to increase visibility and responsiveness. The re-establishment of Community Constables and arrests of people involved in recent ram raids have been good progress.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Waikato Times
Topic: Improperly sign-off building documents
Enquiry
I am helping write an expansion of this story, concentrating on where the investigation is at among councils within the Waikato Times' coverage area:
I have a few quick questions for an appropriate person in your planning/development department:
Where has the investigation reached in the RLC area?
What has been the council's response (so far)?
How many building consents/homeowners have been identified (so far) to be affected by this sign-off?
Response
Last time the Waikato Times checked with us about this matter (7 July) we were still identifying the extent of the problem in the Rotorua district so in the first instance today, we provided the reporter with a link to the information on RLC website (dated 12 July) which provided further information.
We subsequently informed the reporter that:
All parties involved in the 21 cases identified in Rotorua have been notified.
Of those, 11 are projects not yet completed and the owners have been advised to undertake additional checks and identify any corrective actions that may be needed.
The remaining 10 are previously completed projects. The owners have been advised of the potential issues and the pathway for them to seek further information and guidance.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Bay of Plenty Times
Topic: Civil works labour shortage
Enquiry
I am writing a story on Civil works and how there is a labour shortage in the industry. There are also concerns some projects in the Bay of Plenty are being held up by red tape that could include anything from resource consents to traffic management.
A Bay of Plenty contractor who works in water, sewer and stormwater said you might gear up with a plan, with machinery and guys and then find out that it’s been held up for three months. It becomes quite turbulent trying to hold staff with an inconsistent workload. Another that relies on a lot on residential building market said there was lots of hoops to jump through and we hear a lot about the workload that is coming from Council - but have yet to see the big influx of work. Construction NZ said New Zealand had a massive infrastructure deficit and massive maintenance issues and a massive labour shortage. He wanted less talk and more action from the Government about indications to invest $71 billion over the next five years and six billion for cyclone recoveries.
Has the civil works labour shortage had any impacts on the extensive works that RLC is undertaking at the moment - and what are those impacts?
What is your latest data on how many projects RLC has going at the moment that requires civil works?
Can some of RLC projects be held up by red tape and how is the council working to overcome that?
Do you agree or disagree that the Government needs to release more money and plans for infrastructure and maintenance?
What state is the infrastructure in Rotorua like at the moment with things including undergone maintenance and pipes etc - and have there been any forecasts on that through the Long-Term Plan etc on costings, timeframes etc and what are they?
Response
From DCE Infrastructure and Environmental Solutions Stavros Michael:
New Zealand’s currently low unemployment rate poses challenges in recruiting and keeping skilled staff. An additional challenge for the civil works industry is that young people show little interest in pursuing engineering or trade skills and qualifications. As a result, the sector operates below capacity, leading to elevated labour costs, an inability to handle multiple projects at once and a reduced number of participants in open tenders.
Rotorua Lakes Council focuses on three primary areas in civil works:
1. Operations and Maintenance: This involves day-to-day upkeep of assets.
2. Capital Renewal: Upgrading existing assets to maintain their quality.
3. Upgrades for Better Services: Improving civil service networks through new upgrades.
For the first two areas, we've established long-term contracts spanning 10 to 20 years. This approach offers sector stability.
The third area uses open procurement for projects with shorter terms of 2 to 5 years.
We allocate approximately $60 million per year to the first two streams and around $200 million for the third.
Once we choose to proceed with procurement, we ensure that all necessary steps, including planning, design and consultation have been taken care of beforehand. The process of obtaining consent is a significant challenge, primarily due to national legislation (RMA). This is beyond the control of the council.
Our 30-year Infrastructure Strategy (2021-2051) outlines the challenges and funding limitations we face. Generally, the council's investment in infrastructure aims to manage aging infrastructure by focusing on maintenance and renewals. However, there's a substantial backlog of renewals accumulated over the past 40 years that needs gradual attention.