29 April 2025: TRENZ, Tarawera sewerage scheme, slashed car tyres
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: TRENZ coming to Rotorua
Enquiry
I'm doing a quick preview story on TRENZ and was wondering if the mayor would like to give any comment as to the significance of the event, what it might mean for the city and local businesses?
As Rotorua is a tourist destination, why is this event important?
Has the council been doing any work around the place in preparation for the event and if so what?
Any other comment/info?
Response
From Rotorua Mayor, Tania Tapsell:
“As a top tourism town, securing the hosting rights of TRENZ 2025 is a significant milestone for us and our local tourism industry is buzzing.
“This comes off the back of Rotorua successfully delivering other major events, which will continue to be a focus for our Council moving forward.
“Our Chief Executive and myself are driving a culture of excellence across our Council and we expect that our city will be looking it’s best while we’re hosting so many buyers of our tourism products and services. This also means that on top of recent upgrades, our inner city will be given an additional tidy up to ensure we’re putting our best foot forward.
“Attracting events the size and calibre of TRENZ is so important to support the many locals in our tourism and hospitality industries, which are our biggest providers of jobs.
“We haven’t hosted TRENZ since 2019 but have made so many positive changes in Rotorua recently, we can’t wait to welcome delegates from all over the world and showcase what makes Rotorua such a unique and special place to visit, live and work.”
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Funding options for Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
Enquiry
I have the below for response please, relating to the tarawera scheme and funding.
Lake Tarawera Sewerage Working Group is urging their community to not sign plans enabling on-property sewerage scheme work until it has funding certainty.
It says it has three non-negotiable conditions to a funding option proposed in Rotorua Lakes Council’s annual plan consultation.
It held a community meeting on Easter Monday, where it suggested attendees submit for funding option three.
Group member Duncan Evans said "it doesn’t go far enough.”
He said it wrote to chief executive Andrew Moraes and had engaged with council staff including to reiterate many could not afford the scheme.
The three non negotiable conditions it posed to the council were to set the maximum cost for Tarawera ratepayers at $36,600 (GST inc), that all cost escalations be excluded from their bills and that the council engage with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council for it to match its investment of $1.485m.
Evans suggested that if that maximum was agreed then homeowners would agree to sign plans within two weeks of that decision to provide elected members with certainty.
The group also believe there were currently 410 properties and not 446 as the council said.
In a statement provided to Local Democracy Reporting van der Heyden said if the council funded the scheme as it had the East Rotoiti and Rotomā then it would cost Rotorua ratepayers $11 per year.
“Those same ratepayers are paying $40 per year to fund the Rotoiti/Rotoma scheme.
“Council is silent on why the two lake communities are not being treated in the same way.”
He said the council must negotiate with the Tarawera community before the rates are struck.
“This is not a trivial matter. Many community members simply cannot afford to pay for the options council is proposing.”
As well as response to the above can I please ask:
Can I please ask how many have signed for the on-property installations so far?
I understand the work for these will be phased as more people sign them - can I please get a line explaining this?
Can I please get a line explaining, if it is the case, how the number of homes to be connected is 410 and not 446?
How does this [ie if its 410 not 446] impact project cost and funding distribution?
Will Monday's webinar be made available? It currently can't be accessed
Response
From Group Manager – Infrastructure and Assets, Stavros Michael:
We are consulting on funding of the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme as part of consultation on the 2025/26 Annual Plan, which closes 5 May, and we encourage people to make submissions for elected members to take into consideration. Decision-making will follow hearings next month. [Laura, see pages 17-19 and p27 of the annual plan consultation document for more info about what is proposed]
We continue to have discussions with Tarawera property owners and have continued to explore additional funding options to reduce the cost to ratepayers as much as possible.
Regarding different funding arrangements for different sewerage schemes: That has been explained and that information is also available on the project page on council’s website. [Laura, see below, from FAQs on the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme project page on RLC’s website]
Regarding on-property installations: 65 property owners have signed installation agreements to date. These are needed to finalise on-property Locality Plans so building consents can be obtained and installations can proceed. This process has been underway since December 2024 and installations will be phased as property owners sign up.
Regarding number of properties: The cost of the scheme will be shared between the Housing Unit Equivalents (HUEs) that will connect to the scheme which is not just homes. There are 446 HUEs which includes Council’s public toilets and the Buried Village. The public toilets share will be paid by the council.
NOTE: We also provided the link to the recording of last night’s webinar once it was publicly available on Council’s YouTube channel
FROM FAQS ON TARAWERA SEWERAGE SCHEME PROJECT PAGE:
Q: Similar schemes are 50% government funded, why is Tarawera not?
Similar schemes in the district were Crown Deed funded, MfE committed $72.1m in a Deed of Funding arrangement in 2005 for the four priority lakes only – Rotorua, Rotoehu, Rotoiti and Okareka.
Signed in 2008 this Funding Deed (funding commitment) allocated $72.1m of Crown funding to various lake water quality interventions, which are approved by the Strategy Group and the Crown over the life of the deed, for the 4 lakes.
Under the Deed conditions, the RLC and BOPRC will fund, under their relevant funding policies, the actual costs of implementing the agreed programmes of interventions (for every $1 the Crown spends on interventions approved under the Deed, the combined contribution of the Councils must also be $1).
To date, RLC has received $42.5m from the Crown under the 2008 Funding Deed which has been applied to reticulation schemes and BOPRC has received $22.5m for interventions across all four lakes that come under the 2008 Funding Deed.
A recent variation re-allocated $10m of Crown funding – as a loan – to RLC towards reticulation at East Rotoiti. This has to be paid back to BOPRC. This $10m is included in the $42.5m.
Remaining Crown funding within the 2008 Funding Deed – including the $10m to be repaid by RLC – is allocated to ongoing initiatives for Lake Rotorua to achieve agreed nitrogen reduction.
This information, and other financials related to the project, are documented in both Councils’ relevant Long Term and Annual Plans, and Annual Reports. Long Term Plans and Annual Reports are required by law to be audited (under the Local Government Act).
Lakes not included in the 2008 Funding Deed have received other Crown funding through arrangements that are separate from that e.g. the funding for Rotoma and Tarawera reticulation.
The Tarawera scheme has its own Funding Deed. The $6.5m in Crown funding for Tarawera reticulation is coming from the Ministry for the Environment’s Freshwater Improvement Fund.
The Funding Deed between the Crown and RLC for Tarawera sewerage reticulation was finalised in 2022, confirming the allocation from the Ministry for the Environment (MFE) and a $750,000 grant from BOPRC. There is no requirement for BOPRC to provide further funding.
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Media: Stuff
Topic: Car tyres slashed in CBD
Enquiry
I'm inquiring regarding a number of vehicles that unfortunately had their tyres slashed in the early hours of yesterday morning.
Police have confirmed at least 5 reports through Rotorua CBD.
I understand Rotorua Lakes Council parking wardens chose not to give out tickets.
Could I please get a statement from someone at RLC on this event.
Response
From Group Manager – Destination Development, Jean-Paul Gaston:
We encourage anyone who believes their vehicle was affected to report it to the police who will be able to request access to the CCTV footage under privacy legislation.
No parking fines have been issued to those affected by this incident.
We feel for those who were targeted and appreciate the community’s assistance as we work alongside the police to ensure those responsible are held accountable.
