Official Information Request - community grant decisions / QE Health

Sent: Wednesday, 16 November 2022 12:23 pm
Subject: Official Information request - community grant decisions / QE Health development

I refer to your online Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (Act) request of 7 November 2022 regarding community grant decisions and the QE Health development at the lakefront.

Community Grants

Provide the public interest test applied for putting community grant decisions into public excluded sessions of council for the previous triennium (2019-2022).

The determination of community grants for the 2021-2024 period was considered in confidence by the Strategy Policy & Finance Committee on 9 September 2021. The reason for considering in confidence was as per section 7(2)(b)(ii) of the Act ‘Protect information where the making available of the information would be likely unreasonably to prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied or who is the subject of the information’, being the organisations applying for a community grant. The minutes and decisions from this meeting were released in the public agenda of the Council meeting of 28 October 2021.

The agenda can be found on Council’s website

Community Grant and Loan relating to QE Health’s lakefront development

What legal entity was the receiver of the $1m grant?

QE Health Ltd

What legal entity was the receiver of the $2m loan? Provide a copy of the loan document.

The $2m loan has not been taken up. If the loan is taken up, loan documents will be prepared by Council’s solicitors between Rotorua Lakes Council and QE Health Ltd.

What internal guidelines/policies/procedures does council have regarding making loans to private companies?

The procedure for providing any loans is as advised by our expert legal representatives on each individual request. The request is reported to Council and an assessment carried out by Council taking into account the legal advice.

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. The Ombudsman’s Office can be contacted by calling 0800 802 602, emailing info@ombudsman.parliament.nz, online at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz, or by post to The Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.

Publication of responses to LGOIMA requests

Please note: Our LGOIMA responses may be published on the Rotorua Lakes Council website after they have been responded to, with requesters’ personal details withheld. If you have any concerns about this please contact the Council on info@rotorualc.nz.

Regards