9 October 2024
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Confidential item in Community and District Development Committee meeting
Enquiry
Mōrena, can I please ask, for after the item is discussed in public excluded, to be provided a summary of what it related to and what needed to be decided?
What does the risk relate to?
Why held in public excluded?
In what ways does that reason outweigh public interest?
Response
We informed the reporter that during the meeting, the Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong answered why the topic was discussed in public excluded and the reasons it outweighed public interest.
We also informed the reporter the details are commercially sensitive however, council will release those details and what was decided at the appropriate time.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Census data on unoccupied dwellings
Enquiry
I’m looking at today’s census data release and have the below info on unoccupied dwellings (does not include residents away, empty dwellings only).
Had some qs for the council and mayor I’d really appreciate answering please and thanks.
-What does the above information tell us?
-In what ways does the above information compare to what the council know about unoccupied dwellings in the district?
-Why might these Rotorua dwellings be unoccupied? (again noting it is not the dwellings whose residents were away)
-What is housing supply in Rotorua like and what kind of impact would having these dwellings occupied have?
-On reducing the numbers of people in emergency housing?
-Is there an expected ratio of unoccupied dwellings and how does the above compare?
-How does Rotorua compare to neighbours?
-What sorts of problems do unoccupied dwellings pose?
In response to a request from RLC about what StatsNZ’s definition of an “empty dwellings” is, the reporter provided the following:
Dwelling occupancy status classifies each dwelling according to whether it is occupied, unoccupied, or under construction on census night. Dwelling under construction includes all new dwellings that are being built.
For census use, a dwelling is defined as occupied if it is:
• occupied at midnight on census night; or
• occupied at any time during the 12 hours following midnight on census night unless the occupant(s) completed a form at another dwelling during this period.
This includes occupied dilapidated dwellings and new dwellings under construction that are occupied on census night.
For census use, a dwelling is defined as unoccupied if it is:
• unoccupied at midnight and at all times during the 12 hours following midnight on census night.
Unoccupied dwellings may be classified as ‘empty’ or ‘residents away’.
An unoccupied dwelling is classified as ‘empty’ if it:
• had no current occupants; and
• new occupants were not expected to arrive or move in on, or before, census night.
Unoccupied empty dwellings include:
• an existing dwelling that is being altered, repaired, or extended, and is unoccupied on census night
• baches and holiday homes with no occupants on census night
• non-private dwellings, such as camping grounds and marae, that are unoccupied on census night.
A dwelling is classified as ‘residents away’ if:
occupants of a dwelling are identified as being temporarily away and are not expected to return by noon on the day after census night.
Response
We provided the following information:
In terms of housing supply, we can provide the following information:
There had been a much-needed increase in housing supply, including new homes and social housing, in recent years, as reflected in increased numbers of building consents the council has processed.
In the financial year to 30 June 2024:
• 129 subdivision consents granted - 8% more than the previous year.
• 436 dwellings constructed and net (accounting for dwelling removals and demolitions) of 397. Both annual figures are new records.
• 900 consents for dwellings/homes in the consenting pipeline (as at 30 June 2024).
• 75 potential sites in the Development Support process (positive intent or active) generating an estimated 4,900 homes (as at 30 June 2024).
• 96.2% of building consents processed within 20 working days in the year to 30 June 2024.
Regarding empty dwellings, reasons why they might be empty is in the info you sent us re how StatsNZ defines an empty dwelling. RLC doesn’t monitor or keep records of unoccupied dwellings so without specifics, there’s nothing we can add regarding empty dwellings.
