18 May 2021
Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Residential consents issued during April
Enquiry
May I please have the total number and total value of residential consents issued in April?
Response
The following information was provided:
102 residential consents at a work value of $12,603,477 (please note that this number can include amendments and cancelled consents)
Those consents are broken down into the following categories:
New dwelling – 35
Additions/alterations – 22
Domestic garage/outbuildings – 10
Minor work (wood burners/retaining walls etc) – 34
Resited dwelling – 1
The work value for new dwelling consents is $9,974,000
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Budget hopes re tourism
Enquiry (to Rotorua Economic Development)
We’re working on a story re the upcoming budget and we’re keen to canvass what those in the tourism industry are feeling right now, and what they’re hoping for in Thursday’s announcement (especially with how tough it has been for some in the past 12 months).
Can we please find out:
- Generally, what impact has covid had on local tourism?
- How has the local industry handled this, and how is it still handling this?
- What do you hope for, for the local industry, to come from this year’s Budget?
- Ultimately, what does the industry from the Government need to survive?
Response
FromAndrew Wilson, Interim Chief Executive Rotorua Economic Development:
Impact of COVID on tourism? How is the industry dealing with it?
Tourism businesses in Rotorua who are dependent on high visitor volume and the international market, have suffered from the pandemic more than others. We know they continue to face incredible challenges and are working phenomenally hard to support their staff, pivot, and seek out opportunities outside of their BAU to stay afloat and prepare for a return of international tourists. Their constant drive for innovation and collaboration is inspirational.
International visitors contribute around 40% of all visitor spend in Rotorua when the borders are open. This tells us that those businesses reliant on the international markets will obviously feel the impact more than others. For Rotorua, that means our Maori Tourism operators have been amongst the businesses most impacted.
Hopes from this year’s budget
In addition to the support announced for the tourism industry by Minister Nash in early May, we’d like to see strong investment into addressing the well-known housing issues in Rotorua. The impact of these issues span the entire housing spectrum and have far reaching implications for all industries here in Rotorua including tourism.
What does industry need from government
Continued collaboration with Rotorua Lakes Council, iwi and agencies acknowledging the need for an all-of-government approach to addressing the wider issues that impact our tourism industry and our community as a whole.