21 December 2022
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Flooding following weather event
Enquiry
We've had some further complaints and comments come through from residents who have experienced flooding in their homes on Hoyte Place in Pukehangi, Tilsley St in Glenholme and Lake Rd near Kuirau Park.
Here are some comments that the council has the right of reply to:
- The council is complicit in the flooding
- The council know there is a problem -their workers have been telling me this for years when I have consulted them on ways to stop the flooding. I want to know when will they take responsibility for the damage caused by their lack of addressing the matter. When will they apologise for all the stress caused whenever there is a threat of significant rain.
Here are some questions from the residents:
- What is being done to fix damages caused by flooding?
- Is the council aware of any stormwater infrastructure issues in these areas? What are they? What is being done to fix them?
- What are the council's responsibilities in the prevention of floods like these from happening in the future?
*Reporter subsequently provided further comment/complaint for right of reply, regarding “flooding of hot geothermal water to properties on Lake Rd, near Kuirau Park
The council could have prevented the damage if they had done something after the past flood
Response
From Stavros Michael, DCE Infrastructure and Environmental Solutions:
We understand it is upsetting and frustrating for people in parts of our city where surface flooding is more likely when the system is overwhelmed, as occurred yesterday when we experienced 66mm of rain in two hours – just under 5 per cent of our annual average rainfall.
When we receive requests for service we investigate fully and endeavour to find solutions for residents where possible. We would be happy to speak further with the residents you have spoken to in order to better appreciate the causes and factors relating to flooding of their properties.
The stormwater and sewage systems functioned as they were designed to do but there is always the potential for a rain event to overload the system and exceed the capacity of our piped networks. This is the same for any local authority system that does not have unlimited capacity.
We are progressively investing in stormwater management improvements across the city which is increasing the capacity of the system and taking into consideration the effects of climate change. Council’s current Long-term Plan programme includes investment of over $245m for stormwater and sewerage upgrades and we are working on delivery of these projects across the city. Part of that investment ($85m) is assisted by central government which will be targeted at work to be undertaken during the next seven years, firstly in the Pukehangi Rd area, and then addressing some of the problems which occurred in 2018 in the inner city, including Tilsley/Lytton Street.
Council has an ongoing programme of improvements and is currently focused on major stormwater infrastructure upgrades in the Linton Park and Owhata areas. We are also working with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council to ensure the Utuhina Stream is managed appropriately to provide an effective drainage path for networks leading into it from Old Taupo Rd to the lake.
Urban stormwater piped networks in New Zealand are typically designed to cope with one-in-10-year rainfall events, with larger events catered for by overland flow paths, including the roading corridors. It is not possible for local authorities to guarantee drainage networks will cope with rain events.
There are a number of factors that contribute to flood damage including property developments (eg fencing, raised patios) that modify overland flow paths, as well as building floor levels being close to surrounding ground levels and poor in-section (private) drainage systems.
Changing weather patterns and increasing rain intensities are a major challenge and all Councils now factor climate change projections into their future stormwater network designs and improvements. Existing infrastructure constructed decades ago did not include that provision and while it is progressively being upgraded, it takes many years to complete such upgrades, factoring in the community’s ability to fund these.
*We also provided the reporter with the link to latest general updates following yesterday’s rainfall ( LINK)
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Blue Baths
Enquiry
Could I please have an update from the council on what work it has done, if any, on addressing the Blue Baths building's issues since August 2022?
And:
What plans does it have in place to maintain the building (eg keep grass out of guttering, clear birds nests, clear rubbish, avoid mould, air the building) and secure it (e.g. from rough sleepers, vandals) now that it is completely unoccupied? Is the Museum going to salvage the historical items in the building?
I also have some comments from former leaseholder Jo Romanes, on her view about the building, its current state and her views on its future which I would like to provide to the council for the right of reply.
I also have a few comments from Todd McClay about council spending in the past - realise this is a (former) elected members issue but want to provide to the council org with a chance to respond.
Have also provided a comment from Monty Morrison if the council wishes to respond.
Will approach Tania separately.
COMMENTS:
Former Blue Baths leaseholder Jo Romanes showed Local Democracy Reporting around the building as a last chance to see it before it was shut indefinitely.
She wanted the public to see and hear about the state the building was in and her fears it will only get worse, with windows closed preventing airflow and a lack of baseline maintenance.
Romanes said the state the building was “staggering”.
She said plants and vegetation - already growing in the pool and through cracks in other parts of the building - would “only get bigger”.
“As those plants grow, they’ll just do more and more damage to the pool. The grass in the spouting out the front [of the building], that means that water ... is just sitting up there in the guttering.
“All that ceiling up there [in the tea room] is mouldy.”
Birds - particularly pigeons - were also establishing themselves in the building, potentially doing damage.
Romanes said the state the building was currently in was “disturbingly similar” - after only two years - to the state the building was in 1998 when her company first came in after the building had been closed for 17 years.
“You can put up a fence but it doesn’t mean to say that you have to stop caring for the building, because this deterioration will continue. At some point, hopefully, somebody will care enough about this building to do something about it, and will it, at that point, still be repairable?”
“While I’m sad for my company, my staff, I would be OK to let that go and move on if I thought that the building had a plan. If it didn’t involve me, that’s fine, so long as it has a future. That’s the concerning thing for me now, it’s hard for me to step away and let go and know that no one is advocating for it.
She said it was not about her business and its losses.
“It doesn’t have an advocate. The council has no plan to make a plan.”
She believed the council had been “negligent” as the owner of the building and “representing the best interests of the ratepayer” in relation to it.
“They’re not fulfilling their duty.”
She said that “irresponsible behaviour” appeared to be going “unchecked”.
Asked if the Government should step in and take control - and liability - of the building, Romanes said it needed to explored.
“This council certainly is repeatedly saying ‘we can’t do anything, we don’t have any money’, but I personally don’t think that absolves them responsibility of at least making a plan.”
She said she believed in her view it wasn’t always just a matter of funding for councils, but also “competence” with regard to project leadership, management and financial stewardship.
Romanes said if the council didn’t have the money to address the building’s problems, it should be considering a plan for it, or how to fund addressing it.
“When iwi gifted ... this 50 acres of land that’s Government Gardens for the benefit of the people of the world ... it’s being really disrespectful to that gift to just leave a building derelict.”
Romanes believed iwi should be involved and consulted with about the building.
“This land is still theirs”.
Rubbish, such as beer bottles, had also accumulated on the perimeter of the building and mould had accumulated on its south-facing exterior back wall.
Romanes couldn’t understand why council workers had not addressed more minor maintenance issues like that.
She said rough sleepers were also occupying the building’s back doorstep and she believed security of the building was minimal.
“They will eventually push their way in, that’s what happened last time. There were three kids living in there.”
The building also held several historical items collected from the public, such as swimsuits from various eras, which had been made into a gallery in the former dressing rooms by the Rotorua Museum when the building was restored in 1999.
“At that time there was all this publicity about people in the public coming forward with their stories ... really lovely because this place is just about stories, people came here to have fun. The public came forward over that 12 months ... and all of that was gathered and collated and then presented as these displays.
“There’s been no contact from the museum to say, ‘hey we’ve got all our stuff here, all these stories, what are we going to do with them? People have given them to us’.”
Romanes believed the items could be unsalvageable as after the 24th, the building would be inaccessible due to the expired warrant of fitness.
“I’m just going to take photos because one day somebody will wonder where all the history went.
“I feel like a lot of people in Rotorua have had some joy in the place. It has been the social hub of the city.”
She said she had tried to contact Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell to visit the Blue Baths before Christmas so the mayor could see the condition of the building for herself.
“I just can’t get an appointment.
“I’ve been requesting a meeting for three or four weeks, can’t get in. Finally ... I’ve got a meeting in mid-January.”
The building also held a grand piano gifted by St Faith’s Church, when the church no longer had room for it. Romanes understood it had been held by the church for a long time after it was originally brought in from Germany.
She had rung the church to see if they wanted to get it back before the building shut, but they had nowhere to put it.
“So it will probably stay here, rotting away.”
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the Blue Baths “must be saved” and he would discuss the issue with Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell.
“It would be truly a sad day if its state of disrepair became so significant that the bulldozers needed to level it.”
He said the situation was “extremely challenging” as in his view the last council “spent a huge amount of money and ran up debt”.
“Therefore it's hard for the newly elected council to do everything, they have some legacy issues to work through.”
“The cost of protecting this important historic building cannot fall to the ratepayer, they cannot afford it.”
“There are many important parts of New Zealand where a ratepayer base shouldn’t be expected to meet the costs of maintaining things that are there for the benefit of the country.”
Ngāti Whakaue kaumatua Monty Morrison said the hāpu had not discussed the issue and as such did not have an official position on its state at the moment.
“At the moment, until we get updated as to its condition, we can’t comment.”
He said Whakaue was fairly regularly updated on council matters and had representation on the council - through Te Tatau o Te Arawa.
He said it “would be nice to be brought up to speed in and around what exactly’s happening” with the Blue Baths.
Response
There are no updates to what Thomas [Collé] provided in August, which was as follows:
“We expect the future of the Blue Baths to be part of the next Long-term Plan cycle next year, when we will consider and set the work programme for the 2023-2033 period.
“We are currently focussed on other priority projects and work but given its very low seismic rating and taking public safety into consideration, it’s unlikely we would consider re-opening the Blue Baths at this time.
“However, we are always happy to speak with interested parties if they wish to discuss options with us directly.”
In regards to the grand piano, we understand the piano was gifted to the tenant (Jo Romanes) – see Daily Post article of 2017 Piano finds new home at Blue Baths (+ video) - NZ Herald
We are not sure why it has been left in the building.