10 December 2021
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Auckland border re-opening
Enquiry
Reporter sought comment from Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson about Auckland opening up, where Rotorua stood on the matter and whether the accommodation sector was ready.
Response
Deputy Mayor Donaldson reinforced that Rotorua is a great and safe place for people to visit and that businesses are ready and looking forward to the return of Auckland visitors. Also that the district is working hard to do what we need to do to get into the Orange Traffic Light setting as soon as possible.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Resource consent applications
Enquiry
I'm following up a press release that was sent to me by Restore Rotorua regarding resource consents applications.
In it, they say the council is directing MHUD to submit on or before December 20, 2021 up to nine new resource consent applications for motels it is contracting for emergency housing in the CBD.
Restore Rotorua says it threatened the council with legal action last week over MHUD's "unlawful" use of the motels under the District Plan, requesting it issue MHUD with a notice to make "proper resource consent applications" for the motels.
I understand there are five applications currently before the council (one was on hold) and the nine new ones is update up of eight additional motels and the one that was previously on hold. This takes the potential resource applications to 14.
Questions:
- How many resource applications have you received from MHUD?
- How many more are you expecting to receive?
- The press release says MHUD has been using the motels for more than 28 days therefore it is breaching the District Plan. It says the District Plan has some allowance for temporary activities to occur without a consent but it clearly states the activity could only occur for a maximum of 28 days in a year. Is this true?
- Why are these source consents needed?
- Does MHUD have until December 20 to make the resource consent applications for the outstanding motels? (Understood to be nine)
- The press release says: “HUD should be treated the same as anyone else. No one should be permitted to carry out activities in breach of the District Plan rules. The use of motels as emergency housing is a very harmful, and contentious issue for our city. HUD’s actions cannot keep occurring unlawfully, and in the dark.” What do you say to this claim?
- The press release says this: “Restore Rotorua is very concerned with how up to 14 applications to turn inner city motels into emergency housing will cumulatively impact the character of the CBD and the tourism economy of Rotorua. We are concerned about the social impact on inner city residents as well as the homeless of all being squashed into intensive housing in a small area must be taken into account in turning down these resource consents. Restore Rotorua have engaged a planning expert to report on the likely effects the current six applications will have on Rotorua and even six has more than minor effects, in his expert opinion, which would require public notification. Now it looks like we will have up to 14!” Do you have any comment about those statements in response?
Response
From Jean-Paul Gaston, District Development Deputy Chief Executive:
As outlined previously, Council is working with the relevant parties and independent commissioners have been appointed to assure the community and the applicant that the processing of applications will be carried out fairly and independently.
We do not intend to run this process via the media and won’t be commenting further at this time.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Organisational realignment
Enquiry
I would like to ask some questions of the chief executive regarding the deputy chief executives' job descriptions, please.
- Were the deputy chief executive roles ever internally or externally advertised?
- The deputy chief executive chief executive's group role description appears to resemble a job description for a chief executive. Is Rotorua getting value for money out of its chief executive? Why does a chief executive need another person to assist in the work of a role when there are also six other deputy chief executives responsible for their respective groups?
- Some of the deputy chief executive roles appear quite different from their corresponding former roles. For example, the difference between the strategy manager and the district development DCE; and the difference between the operations manager and the community wellbeing deputy chief executive. Is the chief executive therefore confident those appointed to these roles - and the other DCE roles - were absolutely the most suitable for those roles?
- Why were requirements for specific qualifications/attributes dropped from the old roles DCEs were in to their new job descriptions? i.e. chartered accountancy (DCE OE), business management degree (DCE CW), min 10 years' senior management experience (DCE IES), ability to kōrero te reo Māori / Te Arawa networks / knowledge of Te Arawa tīkanga (DCE TAP)
Does the chief executive consider these roles as promotions for the people who were appointed to them, or completely new roles? If neither of these, then what?
Response
From Geoff Williams, Chief Executive:
The team are now in their roles and delivering for our community across their areas of responsibility, as was highlighted during last week’s Operations & Monitoring Committee meeting.
There is nothing further to add to the extensive information and commentary already provided to you.