13 December 2021
Media: Radio NZ
Topic: Pending COVID settings announcement
Enquiry
RNZ sought comment from the mayor ahead of Monday’s Cabinet review of traffic light settings.
Response
Mayor Chadwick made the following key points:
- We need vaccination rates to lift before we’ll be able to move out of red, however, we are open for business, operating as per the guidelines for red.
- We have crossed the 90% mark for partially vaccinated but not quite there yet re fully vaccinated
- Businesses have adapted – as they always do – but we need a good summer with visitors so there is, understandably, a level of anxiety
- We want to move out of red asap
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: 2022 local election candidates
Enquiry
I've just received the below, and I'd like to provide it to the council and mayor for the right of reply - particularly the highlighted.
If the mayor would like to comment on the candidacy of these people too, she is welcome to.
If the council or mayor would like to respond, can I please receive that by 2pm today?
Thank you
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RDRR ENDORSES FIVE CANDIDATES FOR THE 2022 LOCAL ELECTIONS
Press Release: Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers, 13 Dec 2021
RDRR’s 1,123 members were invited to nominate candidates for the October 2022 local elections. Those nominated presented to a Supper Meeting and answered questions. Common themes were about ending waste, holding rates increases to get through Covid, stopping the inflow of homeless, restoring law and order, wiser financial management and empowering elected members of Council. Financial members then endorsed nominees to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers in various roles.
“Robert Lee, John Chetty and Jim Adams have been endorsed as councillor candidates,” said Reynold Macpherson, recently re-elected as Chairman of RDRR.
“Robert is the founding President of Saving Springfield which supports the Springfield Golf Club’s lease being renewed by Council. He has been a tireless advocate for many worthy causes and has served the Rotorua community for many years in Rotary, having held senior roles in the youth arena.”
John Chetty, he said, is from the Indian business community and an advocate for creating business opportunities. He wants to see the CBD revitalised with free and limited-time parking, and back as a leading national tourist destination.
Jim Adams, he confirmed, opposes Council secrecy, vanity and legacy projects and ratepayers paying for subsidies. He has proposed a rates holiday for new businesses, restoring the City Focus including a Wardens Hut, and police foot patrols from 8am to midnight in the CBD and up Fenton.
“Mark Gould has been strongly endorsed to stand as a Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor” reported Glenys Searancke, RDRR’s Patron. “Rotorua born, he served four terms as a district councillor and now wants to help clean up Rotorua’s lakes, ensure clean air for residents and improve pest control. Mark wants better relationships between the Regional Council and Rotorua’s farming community and Council damaged by compliance costs and over a million dollars in legal costs to ratepayers.”
Dr Reynold Macpherson has been very strongly endorsed as a mayoral candidate, ex-Councillor Searancke confirmed. He is seen as ideally qualified and experienced, she said, to reverse the growth of the homeless industry, wasteful spending, and bureaucratic empire building. Reynold’s tough-minded, intercultural, and visionary leadership is needed to restore democracy, transparency, and public accountability for core services in a local government of unity.
Like Te Tatau o Te Arawa and Grey Power Rotorua, RDRR has called for three councillor seats for the Māori ward already decided, plus seven seats for the General ward, as a simple and fair structure to reflect electoral populations. In 2022, RDRR’s Campaign Team will build on its alliances with other communities of interest to discourage vote splitting and to encourage like-minded candidates to stand to better represent rural and environmental interests, women and rangatahi.
Subsequently received from reporter:
Kia ora,
I just got these comments through - can extend deadline to 3pm should the council or mayor want to respond to these?
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Robert Lee:
I believe that Mayor Chadwick and some Councilors are driven by an agenda which they simply ram through. While their agenda may suit some it is disagreeable to many others who have simply been ignored by this Council.
I think Rotorua has gone backwards in many respects in recent years and I would like to be part of a Council team that is more responsive to the whole of the Rotorua community.
I have confidence that Professor Reynold Macpherson has the right skill set and experience to be Rotorua's next Mayor and to lead a more representative and courteous Council.
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Macpherson said Rotorua Residents and Ratepayers members were “deeply discontented” with the way the council was operating and rates rises.
He said the council was "spending money it doesn't have".
He said he had been attacked by council members for asking questions and providing alternatives.
"[People] are tired of being treated with contempt and being ignored.
"They realised they can't change the minds of members of the council and are now organising to change the members of the council."
Response
The reporter was advised that the council organisation did not have any comment to make.
From Mayor Steve Chadwick:
It’s good people are interested in standing for Council and I encourage others to also stand on the issues that matter to them.
Nothing further to add on the follow-up query.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: November commercial consents
Enquiry
Can I please have:
- the top 10 commercial consents in terms of value issued in November
- the total value of commercial consents issued in November
- the total value of residential consents issued in November
- the total number of commercial consents issued in November
- the total number of residential consents issued in November
Response
The following information was provided:
- The top 10 commercial consents in terms of value issued in November 2021: see attached spreadsheet
- The total value of commercial consents issued in November 2021 - $5,272,000
- The total value of residential consents issued in November 2021 - $21,019,800
- The total number of commercial consents issued in November 2021 - 15
- The total number of residential consents issued in November 2021 – 110