28 July 2022
Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: RLC costs related to judicial review
Enquiry
Reporter asked how much in costs RLC had incurred to date re the judicial review court matter (see HERE re judicial review withdrawal)
Response
Reporter was informed the costs to date totalled approximately $129,000 excluding GST
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Media: NZME (Rotorua Daily Post and BOP Times)
Topic: Impact of reforms on development and consenting
Enquiry
I am writing a story on government policies around freshwater, urban and medium-density development and the Resource Management Act.
Developers say the NPS-FW in particular has become increasingly unclear and hard to interrupt and implement. They say the people writing these rules don't know what they are talking about and have not taken urban development into account, especially projects that have been in the pipeline for years and are critical to growth. Developers say those delays are ''currently costing the New Zealand development community hundreds of millions of dollars.
What is the RLC interpretation of the NPS-FW, the Tauranga City Council partly agrees with developers and says it alongside lack of roading infrastructure has delayed housing intensification in the city by more than 12 months. How have these national policies affected building in Rotorua?
What could it mean for Rotorua's future housing intensification plans?
Response
From DCE District Development Jean-Paul Gaston:
We recognise that developing land is becoming more complex due to a variety of reasons, including different forms of Government regulatory requirements, climate change and land constraints.
The NPS-FM does change how we as communities treat our freshwater resource and we all need to adapt.
As a council we are doing all we can to try and facilitate and encourage housing development to address our critical shortage and to get more housing as quickly and efficiently as possible, while also adapting to and accommodating reforms as they take effect.
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Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Passing of Inez Kingi
Enquiry
Reporter requested comment from Mayor Chadwick about the passing of Inez Kingi
Response
Mayor Chadwick provided the following comment:
I knew Inez and her late husband Pihopa since 1975 and we developed a very close relationship, first through the Te Arawa drug and alcohol addiction centre they initiated and through Te Utuhina te Manaakitanga Trust.
Inez’s passion for health then extended into the establishment of the Tipu Ora programme that’s now based at Ohinemutu. And she didn’t stop there.
As one of New Zealand’s first Maori dental nurses she then worked with the then Prime Minister about a Maori oral health plan. I reckon she’d be thrilled to know we are now moving to fluoridation.
She was a battler for Maori health and wellbeing and support for mothers and babies. Her whole life was dedicated to Te Arawa and Whakaue and she was known and respected nationally and internationally for her work.
As a person she was very beautiful and had a real knack for connecting with people. She always touched you when she was talking to you and that engaged people – but she was also tough. She knew what she wanted and how to get what she wanted and no matter the political flavour at any given time, she knew how to pull every lever to get stuff happening to make things better for people locally, and she hoped nationally, for oral health and mums and babies. That’s her legacy.
It all started for her with the Maori Women’s Health League and those principles were what drove her.
She also had an incredibly supportive partner in Pihopa and together they had big dreams and made big things happen. Her legacy will certainly live on.