15 February 2024
Media: Te Karere
Topic: Repeal of three waters reforms
Enquiry
Reporter sought an interview with Mayor Tania Tapsell regarding this week’s announcement by the government re the repeal of the former government’s three waters reforms.
Labour’s Three Waters legislation repealed | Beehive.govt.nz
Response
Mayor Tapsell was interviewed via Zoom
You can view the interview at the following link:Three Waters repeal will give mana whenua more say – Rotorua mayor - YouTube
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Rough sleepers
Enquiry
I am doing an update on how things are tracking with homelessness and illegal camping in reserves and I had a few questions please.
What is the council doing to address this?
Since August, which is the first data from the October committee meeting, how many complaints from the public have there been to the council about homeless in reserves?
Since August how many people have been trespassed from reserves?
How effective has this been?
How many have been found to have returned, and how often? Is there any consequence to this? What?
When I went for a walk in the gov gardens on January 16 one of the guardians was trying to locate the owner of a makeshift bed and trolley of belongings set up in the playground - they said they had already been trespassed. How often does this happen?
In October last year, Jean-Paul Gaston said there were health and safety risks from a lack of ablutions facilities and geothermal conditions, and there was often rubbish left behind by people sleeping rough, and the behaviour of some might also pose a safety risk to others. Have there been any instances related to the aforementioned since August? Details please. including when and what happened.
Can I please have some comment on how tourist numbers in the city have been this summer, and what the potential impact of illegal camping and homelessness in reserves has?
From what I have compiled from agendas, no-one has accepted help. Is this correct? If not, how many and what help does it include?
What kinds of support are offered? (Including specific agencies, charities etc)
Is the council aware of any support services actively offering help to these individuals?
The Feb meeting agenda says: Several rough sleepers have moved on or entered accommodation. How do staff know this?
As I understand, there is no dedicated night shelter, is this correct? Since when as far as the council is aware?
How much did the council contribute to both the establishment and ongoing costs of the last shelter, and how?
Is the council aware of any demand for a night shelter?
If people do not accept help, and are removed from the reserves, where do they go?
How does the council know where people are when they are in reserves?
Noting there were 15 checks in December, what is attributed to the lower number from previous months? I.e. staff off, fewer in reserves?
Also cc'ing in the mayor if she would like to give comment on any of the above.
Follow-up question from Reporter after receiving our initial information:
Can I please double-check the number of people trespassed? The September data included one male being trespassed from Government Gardens, so what is the total?
Response
The reporter was informed that Mayor Tapsell was happy for the organisation to answer the questions and did not have any additional comment at this stage.
From Rotorua Lakes Council Group Manager Community and District Development – Jean-Paul Gaston:
What is the council doing to address this?
Our Safe City Guardians conduct routine checks of inner city and parks and reserves. If they come across people sleeping rough offer to connect them to support services and advise of holiday parks and sites where camping is permitted. It’s up to those individuals whether they take up any offer of assistance and most do not.
Since August, which is the first data from the October committee meeting, how many complaints from the public have there been to the council about homeless in reserves?
We have received 16 reports from the public about rough sleepers.
Laura: please note, these are reports rather than “complaints” as you’ve called them
Since August how many people have been trespassed from reserves?
One from the Lakefront in November 2023.
How effective has this been?
Once advised they will be trespassed most leave of their own accord but trespassing is a last resort. We prefer to engage and offer advice and referrals to support services.
How many have been found to have returned, and how often? Is there any consequence to this? What?
Police were contacted on one occasion to enforce a trespass order after a person returned to an area but they had left by the time police arrived.
When I went for a walk in the gov gardens on January 16 one of the guardians was trying to locate the owner of a makeshift bed and trolley of belongings set up in the playground - they said they had already been trespassed. How often does this happen?
This does happen from time to time, as some who choose to sleep rough may circle around all known camping spots, then end up back where they were first noticed.
In October last year, Jean-Paul Gaston said there were health and safety risks from a lack of ablutions facilities and geothermal conditions, and there was often rubbish left behind by people sleeping rough, and the behaviour of some might also pose a safety risk to others. Have there been any instances related to the aforementioned since August? Details please. including when and what happened.
The guardians have found a small number of abandoned or dumped items but it’s not always possible to ascertain if they have been left by rough sleepers or passers-by.
One camp site in Whakarewarewa Forest which was still there after a warning note was left on initial inspection, was removed in November 2023.
Can I please have some comment on how tourist numbers in the city have been this summer, and what the potential impact of illegal camping and homelessness in reserves has?
Laura: Please refer this question to RotoruaNZ which is responsible for destination marketing and will have information relating to tourism.
From what I have compiled from agendas, no-one has accepted help. Is this correct? If not, how many and what help does it include?
The team can recommend who to go to depending on what is needed, such as MSD or Te Pokapū for housing or Love Soup and Feeding Rotorua food banks for food. If they decline help at the time they may seek support in their own time, but we have no way to track this. Sometimes it takes several interactions for trust to be formed between the rough sleeper and the team offering help.
What kinds of support are offered? (Including specific agencies, charities etc)
See above
Is the council aware of any support services actively offering help to these individuals?
You would need to speak with MSD which provides housing for homeless people or support agencies themselves about this.
The Feb meeting agenda says: Several rough sleepers have moved on or entered accommodation. How do staff know this?
Some individuals who our staff see again tell them where they are now staying or we may hear through connections with other agencies.
As I understand, there is no dedicated night shelter, is this correct? Since when as far as the council is aware?
Correct. Helping Hands Charitable Trust operated shelters between 2018 and 2020.
How much did the council contribute to both the establishment and ongoing costs of the last shelter, and how?
Council covered some costs of a temporary night shelter operated by Helping Hands in 2018, including paying for security and worked with the trust in relation to building compliance.
Is the council aware of any demand for a night shelter?
Not currently.
If people do not accept help, and are removed from the reserves, where do they go?
Council does not have a record of this.
How does the council know where people are when they are in reserves?
We may act on a report we have received or our staff find them during regular patrols.
Noting there were 15 checks in December, what is attributed to the lower number from previous months? I.e. staff off, fewer in reserves?
We do not know.
Our response to the follow-up question:
You are correct there were two trespassed since August. The male trespassed from Government Gardens was trespassed by police so it was not in our register. The one person trespassed at the Lakefront was trespassed by our guardians.
