Feedback period for reserves proposal extended and hearings added
Rotorua Lakes Council is extending the submissions period for the Reserves Proposal currently out for consultation. The new deadline for feedback is 5pm on Thursday 14 July 2022.
As part of efforts to address Rotorua’s housing shortage, Council is investigating the potential to sell reserve sites that don’t meet open space requirements, make these available for housing and use the proceeds to improve the city’s reserves network.
The extension to the feedback period is in response to community requests seeking more time to make submissions.
Council will also be holding hearings on the proposal – these are scheduled for the last week in July 2022 – to provide an opportunity for people to speak to their submissions if they wish to do so.
Those who have already submitted their feedback will be contacted by email to let them know of these updates so they can indicate if they wish to speak to their submissions at the hearings.
Council officers have also engaged with mana whenua groups to seek their views and will be making contact again to provide an update and ask whether they wish to speak at the hearing.
The proposal identifies two reserves and eight parts of reserves that are surplus and could be used for housing of various types, including social housing.
Feedback from the community will be used to assist with decision-making about whether to proceed and how.
Decisions still to be made include whether or not to sell any or all of the 10 identified sites, the mechanism to revoke reserve status if the decision is made to progress (i.e. a Local Bill or the Reserves Act process), which reserves any proceeds of sale should be invested in and any conditions of sale that should be imposed if the proposal is progressed.
Go to rotorualakescouncil.nz/reserves proposal (or click on the link HERE) to find out more information about what’s proposed and how you can provide feedback.