1 October 2024
Media: NewsTalkZB
Topic: Visitor levy funds
Enquiry
An interview was requested with Mayor Tapsell regarding an LGNZ media release about the International Visitor Levy
Response
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Media: Radio NZ - Checkpoint
Topic: People living in cars
Enquiry
I'm working on a story about more people living in vehicles due to the cost of living and changes to rules around emergency accommodation. Could I please request any information you have on the number of homeless people living in vehicles in Rotorua. Could I also request these numbers for previous years starting from 2019 - present.
Response
Reporter was informed that RLC does not collect that information.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Aquatic Centre redevelopment
Enquiry
I'm just writing something on the discussion in last week's meeting about the aquatic centre and had a couple of questions if I could have them answered please and thanks. Also welcome any comment to the below:
Mayor Tania Tapsell said she appreciated feedback on affordability from those impacted by sewerage scheme works, but the council had also heard from families and children about the importance of the aquatic centre.
She said there was a community expectation spa pools, which were removed during the refurbishment, would be delivered. Tapsell said the old spas provided an affordable option, particularly for the elderly.
Lani Kereopa said it was for children’s sake she wanted to spend money on the aquatic centre, but the reality was people were facing being “rated off their land” with sewerage scheme costs.
As a mother and grandmother, she hoped to find a way to “sort the aquatic centre”.
“Where we are now with the aquatic centre is actually pretty dumb.
“The pool is the bare minimum. It’s actually really sad, the offering in Rotorua ... we should have just left it alone, really. It was better how it was before.”
The spas previously bought about $150,000 in revenue. They were removed during stage 2.
Was this revenue per year?
When councillor Robert Lee asked why the spas were taken out, chief financial officer Thomas Collé said they were “old and dilapidated” and needed significant refurbishment.
Collé said there was an interested party for a joint venture and while for commercial sensitivity could not provide details, he said it signalled it would need to contribute more than $2m.
Was this referring to just splash pads and spas or something else?
Councillor Rawiri Waru understood it would be easier to find funding for infrastructure projects compared to the aquatic centre, while councillor Gregg Brown said there was an opportunity for a joint venture for aquatic centre add-ons and so preferred the money to go to the Tarawera scheme.
Allocating $2m to the scheme would act as an olive branch to ratepayers who saw scheme costs rise, “avoiding us a punch up”, he said.
“I would see it as cost-saving.”
- What has community feedback on stage 2 of the aquatic centre been like? What are the main themes?
- What has the feedback has the council received regarding the spa removal?
- I understand there have been a few issues since the completion, such as the male changing rooms did not have locks on the doors to begin with, temperature issues and a leaky roof. Have these been resolved?
- How many complaints has the council received since the pool re-opened?
- What did these include and how has the council remedied them? Are any ongoing and what are they?
- What extra cost has resolving issues cost the council and how has this been funded?
- What was the rationale behind why the metal slides were chosen as the only feature of the leisure pool?
- Were other features explored and what were they? Why were they not chosen?
Response
From a Rotorua Spokesperson:
Was this revenue per year? Yes, the revenue from the Spa’s and the Lazy River generated $145k/year.
Was this referring to just splash pads and spas or something else? This is related to the initial combined option 3 which was the splash pad, spas and hydro slides
What has community feedback on stage 2 of the aquatic centre been like?What are the main themes? We had a lot of positive feedback on our Facebook page when the Aquatic Centre opened but we don’t keep a record of that feedback.
What has the feedback has the council received regarding the spa removal? We haven’t received any official feedback regarding the spa removal.
I understand there have been a few issues since the completion, such as the male changing rooms did not have locks on the doors to begin with, temperature issues and a leaky roof. Have these been resolved? We had a door-lock and temperature issues due to commissioning and balancing of the new filtration systems but these have been resolved. There were some roof leaks but not over public areas and are currently being repaired.
NOTE: we sent a subsequent note to the reporter to make it clear there had been an issue with a lock on one changing room door and this had been fixed
How many complaints has the council received since the pool re-opened? A check of council records show that we haven’t received any complaints since the pool re-opened.
#Note to reporter I am yet to hear back from CLM if they have received any feedback. I’ll send that through if we receive any.
What did these include and how has the council remedied them? Are any ongoing and what are they? NA
What extra cost has resolving issues cost the council and how has this been funded? NA
What was the rationale behind why the metal slides were chosen as the only feature of the leisure pool? The slides were the only prior features in the leisure pool and they were taken out, polished and returned.
Were other features explored and what were they? Why were they not chosen?
Stage three is dependent on external funding, and will focus on additional upgrades to leisure attractions that could include:
• a splash pad
• spas
• bomb pool
• hydroslide
• dedicated learn to swim pool
An initial design is progressing on spas and a splash pad and will progress if external funding initially allocated for the project remains available. The extent of what stage three work will be completed is yet to be finalised and further funding opportunities will be explored.
There is no date set yet for stage three works.
