21 March 2022
Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Weather-related callouts
Enquiry
I just wanted to check-in to see if Council has staff on standby for any weather related incidents that may happen this afternoon? How else is council preparing for the conditions right now? Have you been called to assist at any incidents?
Response
Reporters were informed that a weather update was posted online, and can be found on our website HERE
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Mayor Chadwick's letters to MSD Minister about emergency housing concerns
Enquiry
I'm seeking some answers to questions that have come as a result of a Stuff article published on Friday that revealed the contents of two letters you wrote to Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni in December and again in February.
Strong language has been used to express the views the community is suffering as a result of the activities in the motels.
You expressed concern about MSD continuing to allow people with accommodation vouchers to come Rotorua and concern that violence, drugs and vandalism was destroying Rotorua.
- Why haven't you publicly said these concerns before?
- Do you believe your close ties with Labour have affected your ability to publicly criticise the Government for the way it has treated Rotorua over its influx of emergency housing?
- Do the contents of these letters mean you do not support resource consent applications for 13 motels in Rotorua to be made more permanent emergency housing facilities in Rotorua?
- Do you believe it has been too easy for out-of-towners to come to Rotorua for emergency housing?
- Given your concerns, as expressed in the letters, why didn't you use your power as mayor to more publicly stop it, given this has been the loud call from many residents.
- Your stance in the past has been to say motels should not be a long term-solution and weren't ideal for women and children and more housing was key. However, you have also publicly said you were "concerned and disappointed" about the growing call from residents to not allow certain types or perceived types of people in their neighbourhoods. You called for an end to the "but no in my backyard" mentality. Given your comments in your letters, do you now understand the feelings of residents who have had to put up with the anti-social behaviour they now find themselves living among?
Further comment provided for mayor's response:
I have sought comment from Restore Rotorua chairman Trevor Newbrook regarding the Stuff article. He has made the following comments, if Steve Chadwick would like to respond to any of these criticisms/points.
- Why has Steve Chadwick never spoken to the people of Rotorua about these concerns? In fact quite the opposite. Only 2 months before Chadwick raised these very real and disturbing issues with the minister, she was reported in the Rotorua Daily Post saying she was concerned locals were saying they didn't want these people in their backyards.
- It is interesting that as local public concern has increased, and RLC is coming under more pressure from Restore Rotorua to be open and transparent in their dealings regarding the 13 Resource Consent application from MHUD to convert 13 motels into permanent Emergency Housing, the Mayor suddenly realises there is some major issues and writes to the Minister. And then suddenly these letters become public. What politics and manipulation are at play here?
- In her letter the Mayor mentions Public Meetings about Emergency Housing. But she did not even bother to turn up at the open public meeting at the Arawa Bowling Club, attended by about 350 of her concerned residents and ratepayers.
- The Rotorua District Council is part of the Task Force that has created the Emergency Housing crisis in Rotorua. When will the secrecy stop and someone tell Rotorua residents the plan to resolve this situation. Or is there no plan Mrs Chadwick?
Further comment provided for response:
Petition instigator Jenny Peace has said this if you wish to respond.
This is hypocritical of the Mayor. I can’t help wondering what her agenda is. Her political game. After many many months of constant denial (by RLC and MSD) that the homeless are from outside Rotorua. In September 2021 the Mayor “accused” residents of nimby-ism. Call me a cynic but why the about face - maybe driving along Fenton Street every day since her move to Glenholme??
Further comment provided for response:
In addition to Trevor Newbrook and Jenny Peace, Todd McClay has just spoke to me and said the following if Steve wishes to respond.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said he and other locals had been talking to Chadwick and the council for two years about this problem but she had never used the language like she did in those letters.
"She has always been so far away from those statements. But hopefully now the council will do something about it.
"It is pleasing the council has finally woken up to the problem but it is a shame they didn't do so when local residents were asking them to inforce the District Plan when the Government was filling up our motels."
McClay said he hoped this showed a changed of position and the council would apply the rules "properly and fairly".
"The council can impose a sinking lid policy where no more homeless come from outside of Rotorua into motels and they and the Government find ways to rehouse them and finally the numbers fall. The only way for life to return to normal for the residents in suburbs around emergency housing motels is for them to be turned back into actual motels rather than be used for emergency housing."
Response
Mayor Steve Chadwick provided the following statement:
My role as mayor is to be Rotorua’s number one advocate and to work with whoever is in Government to get what our district needs.
I don’t fight my political issues with Government through the media. Relationships with Government need to be managed and that’s very important regardless of which party you are dealing with. I’m working to get real change – grandstanding gets us nowhere.
My views haven’t changed and I’m unhappy about emergency housing clients being placed in random motels with no management contracts in place – this has always caused issues and my message remains the same – unmanaged placements must stop, Rotorua cannot be the solution for homelessness elsewhere and we must have more housing quickly.
The issues have not gone away. They remain fundamentally the same and I’ll continue taking every opportunity to advocate strongly for Rotorua at all levels.
Every visiting minister or MP from any other party hears – and will keep hearing – about growing concerns in our community relating to housing, community safety and our district’s reputation.
I offered an opportunity to Todd to bring forward his ideas following his public meeting, which he promised to do although I’m still waiting. He hasn’t sought to discuss these issues with me since his re-election and its naive to think the council has any ability to put a cap on who can come to Rotorua but my door remains open, and I would think it’s more important than ever for us to all work together on real solutions.
I’ve always been very aware of residents’ anxiety and concerns about homelessness and safety – these are raised with me frequently. I’ve met with people who have asked to meet with me and have responded to those who put their positions respectfully, and I’ll continue to do so.
The impact of covid has meant that the solutions to the challenges facing our district are now even more complex than before. It’s about addressing poverty and inequality and homelessness is a manifestation of that.
We advocated before covid for Government to work with Rotorua to address housing and homelessness and we’ve never stopped. We have a huge problem that requires significant tools that only Government has to alter policy settings and enable solutions we need.