21 March 2023
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Elected member forums
Enquiry
Reporter had the following questions about workshops/forums:
- Ōpōtiki council has begun uploading key notes from its workshops - what would need to happen for any change to the current Rotorua process on workshops to be made?
- What is the present process with workshops? What information is available to the public? (Can the public ask for workshop dates, can they come along, can they request notes etc)
- How many workshops have been held with this current council? (And how many public excluded?)
Subsequent additional question from reporter:
I understand the workshops were meant to be notified (as directed by the mayor during some procedural changes) on the website for the public to know when and what they were about for greater transparency - can I ask why this was not happening?
Response
From DCE District Leadership and Democracy, Oonagh Hopkins:
Any change to the current forums process would be at the request of elected members.
Forums are a way to support informed decision-making. They are to brief elected members on emerging issues, and/or get an indication of councillor preference before initiating a policy or project, and/or provide an opportunity for elected members to develop ideas and be informed of options.
Forums are not open to the public or media and no minutes are recorded from these because, unlike Committee or Council meetings where decisions are made and minutes must therefore be recorded, no decisions are made during forums.
Matters discussed in forums become public when reported and presented at formal committee or Council meetings, which are open to the public and where matters can be debated and discussed ahead of decisions being made.
There have to-date been 18 forums held with the current Council and community boards, 14 of which were induction workshops following the 2022 Election. None have been open to the public or media.
Re subsequent additional question:
This was an oversight and will be rectified.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Overgrown Fordlands alleyway
Enquiry
I'm writing a story about an overgrown alleyway in Fordlands - between Meadowbank Cresent and Irene Place.
A local resident has shared with us the attached photos [see attached] and has made some comments about it, which I'd like to run past you for right of response:
Comments:
She said her two teenagers would normally use the alleyway daily to walk to school but now, "they can't walk through it".
Her teenagers said the alleyway was “completely dangerous”.
“They’re getting scratched up if they go through it.”
She said the state of the alleyway was “absolutely disgusting” as it was “completely overgrown”.
“It’s actually quite a safe alleyway in that you can see from one side to the other. It’s safe for the kids to walk through and now it’s not safe.
“It’s full of bamboo and brambles - it’s just not a matter of mowing it. But it’s the fact that it looks awful, there’s no way it should be that bad when it’s [the] council’s responsibility.”
In her view, the alleyway had been getting worse “since Christmas”.
She said she did not see “anything as bad” anywhere else in Rotorua.
“I honestly just think they don’t care about it ... and that’s horrible to say, but I just think our area tends to get less. I look at the trees down Ford Rd and they’re all cut and they all look ugly.
“I just think it feels like we’re being unfairly treated because it’s Fordlands. And that might not be the case, but that’s how it feels."
Questions:
How many complaints has the council received about this alleyway this year?
What is the council planning to do about this alleyway and when?
How would you describe the backlog, if any, of maintenance of these sorts of areas?
Response
From Rob Pitkethley, Manager - Active and Engaged Communities:
We agree that the state of the alleyway was unacceptable. It is expected that all requests for service are responded to in a timely manner.
We have followed up with our contractor and they have advised that the work will be complete by this afternoon.
From our records we were notified that the path was overgrown in December 2022, since that time we’ve received one follow up call and a further request in early March.
All alleyways have been mowed however, there is a small backlog where additional work is required such as tree and hedge trimming. Our contractors are working through this additional maintenance now.
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Myrtle rust
Enquiry
*NOTE: This enquiry was sent to all councils in the BOP including BOP Regional Council
This query is about myrtle rust on council and private land. As WBOPDC, RLC and TCC will deal with any Myrtle Rust on council land, I understand BOPRC deals with it on private land.
If I have this wrong – please let me know.
Can each of you please tell us:
- How many sites are being ‘monitored’ by the council for myrtle rust? If any of these include public reserves, please name them. (I understand there are several trees at Harrison’s Cut with Myrtle Rust)
- What does this ‘monitoring’ actually mean? What does it involve?
- Have any trees been removed (cut down) because of Myrtle Rust? If so, how many, where from, and where were their remains disposed of?
- How many have been closed or partially closed for this reason? If any, please name them and when they were closed, etc.
- What steps is the council now taking to better protect or contain Myrtle Rust in the region?
- What message does the council have for people who find Myrtle Rust on trees – either on council or private land?
Response
From Rob Pitkethley, Manager - Active and Engaged Communities:
Rotorua Lakes Council does not monitor Myrtle Rust on public or private land. We understand Myrtle Rust is now widely found across the North Island and in some areas of the South Island with the initial response to the disease closed in May 2018. The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and the Department of Conservation (DOC) has shifted the focus to science to find ways of managing long-term.
In line with the national response, we encourage people to recognise it, report it and remove it – (detailed information can be found here). We encourage all to check, clean and dry tramping, hunting and camping gear to protect our environment from a range of pests and diseases, not just Myrtle Rust.
While we don’t actively monitor for Myrtle Rust, as part of our normal park maintenance our contractors remove and safely dispose of infected vegetation to reduce the spread of the disease.
Three infected Pōhutakawa Trees from Hamuruna Reserve have been removed and disposed of as per MPI guidelines when first detected.
We encourage our community and manuhiri (visitors) to keep an eye out for common symptoms and call the MPI Exotic Pest and Disease Hotline on 0800 80 99 66 or our Customer Service Centre on 07 348 4199 if you see any signs of Myrtle Rust. Alternatively, you can report sightings via the iNaturalist website.
FYI: BOP Regional Council clarified its role as follows:
Myrtle rust is not one managed by us either on public or private land.
You can get some useful information on the NZ Biosecurity website though about how it is managed Myrtle rust in New Zealand | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz)
You might also find the details of the citizen science approach for identifying and reporting myrtle rust Myrtle Rust useful.