Response
I refer to your LGOIMA request of 21 October 2024 (highlighted) above, specifically:
1. Could Rotorua District Council please provide a breakdown of what expenses the $72.1M government investment was spent on?
2. Which lake sewerage reticulation schemes received a subsidy, grant or payout from the $72.1M investment?
3. How much of the $72.1M government investment was spent on lake sewerage reticulation schemes?
4. What was the apportionment of the $72.1M government investment between the seven lakes sewerage reticulation projects?
5. Which lakes reticulation sewerage schemes did not receive any funding from the $72.1M government investment? If not, why?
6. Which lakes ratepayers received a benefit from the $72.1M government investment towards sewerage reticulation schemes?
7. Was any of the $72.1M government investment paid to iwi organisations such as the Te Arawa Lakes Trust? If so, what was the purpose of that payment?
In answer to each question:
1. Could Rotorua District Council please provide a breakdown of what expenses the $72.1M government investment was spent on?
Rotorua Lakes Council did not receive the full $72.1m. The $72.1m was split between Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC) and Bay of Plenty Regional Council (BOPRC) as follows:
- RLC $42.5m by way of Deed funding for sewerage reticulation for 4 targeted lakes (Rotorua, Ōkareka, Rotoiti and Rotoehu)
- BOPRC $29.6m for other lakes water quality works – land incentives, phosphorus treatment, gorse removal, wetlands etc.
2. Which lake sewerage reticulation schemes received a subsidy, grant or payout from the $72.1M investment?
As advised in No.1, RLC’s portion of $42.5m was Deed funding for Lakes Rotorua, Ōkareka, Rotoiti and Rotoehu. (Note: Lake Rotoehu has no approved reticulation project.)
3. How much of the $72.1M government investment was spent on lake sewerage reticulation schemes?
The table below shows the Deed funding allocation (rounded) to each of the 4 targeted lakes:
WW Reticulation Programme | Date | Gross
actual costs | “Deed” Funds | Local funds ratepayer |
Lake Rotorua
| 2009-2012
| $23m
| $11.5m
| $11.5m
|
Lake Ōkareka
| 2007-2009
| $8m
| $4.0m
| $4m
|
West Rotoiti/Okere
| 2011-2015
| $11m
| $5.5m
| $5.5m
|
East Rotoiti/Rotomā
| 2018-Now
| $56m
| $21.5m
Other funding $14.5m
| $20m
|
| | $98m | $57.0m | $41m |
4. What was the apportionment of the $72.1M government investment between the seven lakes sewerage reticulation projects?
See above.
5. Which lakes reticulation sewerage schemes did not receive any funding from the $72.1M government investment? If not, why?
Lake Tarawera was not one of the targeted lakes included in the Deed funding of $42.5m.
6. Which lakes ratepayers received a benefit from the $72.1M government investment towards sewerage reticulation schemes?
See table above.
7. Was any of the $72.1M government investment paid to iwi organisations such as the Te Arawa Lakes Trust? If so, what was the purpose of that payment?
No, apart from administration costs to participate in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Strategy Group. The quantum of these payments is not known by RLC as this was administered by BOPRC.
