On the Agenda
Destination management plan sets tourism actions and targets
Developing Rotorua as a functioning and thriving visitor destination that benefits the local community is the key focus for a new destination management plan for the district.
The plan, which sets a strategic pathway for sustainable tourism growth, will be outlined during Thursday’s meeting of the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee, which will be asked for its support and to recommend Council’s endorsement later this month.
A DMP to set out and understand opportunities for transformation and increase value from visitors to Rotorua was a key action in the Draft Economic Development Strategy (EDS) approved by Council in December 2020. Funding to develop a destination management plan (DMP) was led by CCO Rotorua Economic Development (RED) with funding received from MBIE.
Development of the DMP included comprehensive discussion with Te Arawa, destination stakeholders and the wider community, with oversight from a project steering group, a report to the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee says.
The report outlines key aspects of the DMP.
Section 1 sets the Rotorua context and defines the destination’s strengths.
Section 2 addresses core issues considered to restrict the destination from meeting its full potential including social deprivation; accommodation; destination definition; CBD; environmental stewardship; reliance on international markets; human resources; amenities, services and infrastructure; industry support.
The DMP’s role is not to solve these issues but to identify opportunities for the sector to support positive change. Many of the issues identified align with those also identified by Rotorua Lakes Council and reflected in its programmes of work.
Section 3 of the DMP sets the suggested strategic direction and identifies key actions, recommendations, KPIs and four destination targets:
- Reach $1b visitor spend by 2030;
- Increase average daily spend per visitor index by 5% per annum in comparison to the rest of New Zealand;
- Maintain a positive perception of the impact of tourism with Te Arawa and on the local community;
- Increase the GDP contribution per person employed in tourism (from $57,546 in 2019).
The DMP identifies 13 short, medium and long term actions for implementation over the next 10 years and RED will develop implementation plans and incorporate actions into its work programmes.
Many actions will need support and leadership from Rotorua Lakes Council and/or Central Government, the report to the Committee says.
RED is working to progress immediate recommendations for the DMP and form a project plan for delivery and will work closely with the council’s District Development team. Any projects, recommendations or actions from the DMP that require financial or budget considerations on the part of the council will be brought to Council separately for consideration.
To read the full report on this matter go to p17 of the Committee meeting agenda
See this link to read the Rotorua Destination Management Plan
Progress on assessment for housing and business development land needs
The Committee will also receive an overview of progress on an assessment of land needed for housing and business development in the Rotorua district in the short, medium and long term.
Rotorua’s Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment (HBA) is being prepared under the National Policy Statement (NPS) for Urban Development Capacity 2020.
Currently a working draft, it is Rotorua Lakes Council’s first HBA and is expected to be completed later this month.
The National Policy Statement on Urban Development (NPS-UD) relates to spatial strategy and land use planning and requires councils to plan well for growth and ensure the delivery of a ‘well-functioning urban environment’ for all people, communities and future generations.
In particular, the NPS-UD requires local authorities to provide sufficient plan-enabled, infrastructure-ready, and commercially feasible development capacity so that more homes can be built in response to demand.
The council’s HBA complies with the requirement for Tier 2 territorial authorities to assess the demand for housing and for business land in urban environments, and the development capacity sufficient to meet that demand in its District in the short (3 years), medium (10 years) and long term (30 years).
The HBA takes into account short, medium and long-term projections for population growth and resulting increase in households, and increase in jobs filled and resulting demand for urban business-zoned land.
Infometrics predictions for Rotorua:
- Population growth of 14,400 by 2050 to total 90,600 (76,200 in 2020) with an additional 11,200 over the decade to 2030 (+14.7%) and an additional 28,000 by 2050.
- Increase of 1,800 households in the short term, 5,200 in the medium term and 14,000 in the long term with annual increase of 600 in the short term, 520 over the next decade, and about 460 over the long term. This will result in 34,300 resident households in the District by 2030, and 43,100 by 2050.
- Number of jobs filled in the district by 2050 projected to reach just over 45,320 (total growth of about 9,320 or 26%).
- An estimated 80ha of developable zoned land required to accommodate employment growth between 2020 and 2050. Over a quarter (23ha) projected to be required over the next five years.
The HBA is designed to provide a robust evidence base for housing and business land markets, to inform council plans, planning decisions, and related strategies. It will be a key input into the development of a Future Development Strategy and future District Plan changes.
To read the full report on this matter go to p25 of the Committee meeting agenda
See this link to view the Draft HBA main report
See this link to view the Draft HBA technical report
Council meetings are temporarily closed to public attendance due to the presence of COVID-19 in the community outside of Auckland, in the interests of public and staff safety. The public can access meetings via livestreaming and/or Council’s YouTube channel.
Thursday’s meeting of the Strategy, Policy & Finance Committee starts at 9.30am and will be livestreamed.
You can access livestreaming via THIS LINK on Council’s website or by going directly to Council’s YouTube channel HEREand the full recording will be available on Council's YouTube channel following the meeting.