29 March 2023
Media: Stuff
Topic: Council job losses
Enquiry
I understand the RLC is beginning a restructure process and this could affect up to 30 or 40 staff members.
Obviously this is not unusual at the start of a new term, but I do have some questions regarding this below:
- What are the reason/s for the restructure? Is this part of the new mayor's "stop the spend" election campaign?
- How many staff does this affect?
- Will this save the council money? If so, how much?
- What will the restructure look like? (How will it change the organisation?)
- When will the council be making its final decision?
Response
From CE Geoff Williams:
Council is not “beginning a restructure process [that] could affect up to 30 or 40 staff members” – that is incorrect.
Council is about to consult the community on a draft annual plan which, as outlined in the report going to next Wednesday’s Council meeting (see HERE, go to p9) includes proposals that aim, among other things, to consolidate some work programmes and focus on doing the essentials well.
Staff have been informed that there may be potential impacts on roles within the organisation as a result of what is being proposed.
The finalised annual plan will be adopted at the end of June which is when we would have confirmation of any changes that may potentially affect staff.
Details of the draft annual plan will become public when consultation opens on 11 April 2023.
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Media: Rotorua Weekender
Topic: Student art exhibition
Enquiry
Reporter sought information about the student art exhibition, Toi Whakatōpū, currently running at Rotorua Library.
- What is the Toi Whakatōpū exhibition about/featuring?
- How many art students are involved?
- Why do you think this is a great exhibition for the community to check out?
- How has the response been from both the students participating and visitors so far?
- Why do you think it is important to showcase the work of local arts students?
- Is there anything you would like to add?
Response
From Dominique Chandler, Rotorua Museum Education Lead
This unique exhibition is an art showcase by students from three local high schools; Rotorua Lakes High School, Western Heights High School and John Paul College. These students come from various high school year levels and use a variety of media to create their works.
There are 17 students in the exhibition, along with eight student portfolios from previous Year 13 students.
It gives people a chance see the work our talented youth are producing in schools in a variety of mediums: painting, photography, digital, sculpture, printmaking. The eight portfolios that are on display gained Excellence, Scholarship or Merit, so they are fantastic examples for students to view.
This is a great opportunity for students to gain the experience in exhibiting their own work. They had to select their pieces, make is presentable and then display it for the community to see. It is an exciting process with students and teachers both recognising the value of this experience. Their feedback has been extremely positive and the Rotorua Museum Education team and the staff at Rotorua Library, Te Aka Mauri, are very pleased to be able to celebrate the immense talent in our local community.
The exhibition highlights the exceptional artistic talent from our local kura and aims to inspire current students while working on their own portfolios.
Toi Whakatōpū is only on until Thursday 5 April 2023. The Rotorua Museum Education team look forward to creating more student art exhibitions in the future, as well as continuing the hugely popular education programmes which support local teachers by enriching the local curriculum.