Community & District Development Committee decisions
New set of actions agreed for Community Safety Plan
At today’s meeting elected members received an update on the development of the Rotorua Community Safety Plan from DCE Community Wellbeing and Rotorua Area Commander Herbie Ngawhika.
The committee heard that partnership with Police underpins the strategy, and that a collective impact approach between Police and Council is necessary to ensure Rotorua is a safe and thriving place for all.
Area Commander Ngawhika outlined a number of new short and long-term actions that have been integrated into the Plan since the Council’s last update including:
- An increased focus on Rotorua CBD including Fenton Street. This includes the reestablishment of Community Constable, with added support of a second Constable and restructuring work shifts, to increase Police visibility in the CBD.
- Council and Police have worked together to identify priority areas (both urban and rural) and increased interaction with RLC Community Boards to better understand what the needs are and how the partnership better supports rural and lakes communities.
- The introduction of regular quarterly reporting to assist with crime data analysis, provide flexibility to make changes as required and ensure the most efficient use of resources.
- Police are working with some major retailers to ensure they are taking the right measures for safety for their own staff, customers and premises.
- Enhanced CCTV network through the identification of funding solutions. This includes the new national Retail Crime Prevention Fund and opportunities that open up through partnership with Police.
- Long term solutions focusing on engagement in community education and initiatives, investigation into Bylaws and the design and access to public spaces.
The Rotorua Community Safety Plan was identified as a key action within the 2021-2031 Long-Term Plan which sets aside an additional $500,000 to increase funding for community safety to $1.13 million a year over 10 years.
Community safety is one of the four priorities set by elected members for the 2022-25 triennium.
View the presentation for the update HERE. Watch this section of the meeting on the livestream recording HERE.
Draft Future Development Strategy to go out for public consultation
The Committee voted unanimously to approve a draft Future Development Strategy (FDS) to go out for community consultation at the beginning of next month.
The draft Strategy will be available to view and submit on for six weeks from 1 June to 14 July 2023.
The Committee also approved the establishment of the Rotorua Future Development Strategy Joint Committee that will serve as a hearings panel, with an independent Commissioner as chair and three councillors from the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.
Replacing the 2018 Spatial Plan, the FDS is a long-term strategy for the development of a well-functioning urban environment (Rotorua city including Ngongotahā). It will guide how and where growth happens to ensure there is sufficient zoned land and infrastructure to meet both housing and business demand over the short (3 years), medium (10 years) and long term (30 years).
All Councils are legally required (as part of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020) to plan for growth and the FDS must be in place in time to inform the 2024-34 Long-term Plan.
The Committee report outlined the proposed growth scenario which responds to the findings from the 2021 Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment, and was developed following 18 months of extensive pre-engagement with iwi and hapū, community groups, developers and consultants, infrastructure providers and key government agencies.
The basis of the proposed growth scenario includes:
- Achieving a compact city where homes are built close to existing infrastructure, employment, community spaces and transport.
- Managed intensification within existing neighbourhoods supported through planning changes already underway.
- New residential development opportunities identified around Ngongotahā and Eastside.
- New business development opportunities adjacent to State Highway 5 and State Highway 30.
- Relocation opportunities in the long term for industrial businesses in areas such as Ngāpuna, Fairy Springs and Ngongotahā.
The community will be able to view and submit on the Draft FDS using Council’s engagement website www.rotorualakescouncil.nz/koreromai as well as in person at a number of community engagement events (dates and venues to be confirmed).
Submitters will have further opportunity to speak to their feedback at a public hearing later in the year. Council aims to adopt the Future Development Strategy by September to ensure it is in place to inform the next Long-term Plan and supporting strategies.
Go to p30 of the meeting agenda to read the full report on the draft FDS. Watch this section of the meeting on the livestream recording HERE and view the presentation slides relating to this report HERE.
Also on the agenda
The committee approved a recommendation to amend Rotorua NZ Limited’s constitution of council-controlled organisation (CCO) RotoruaNZ regarding the minimum number of directors/board members for its board.
To enable the remaining directors to carry out their responsibilities, the recommendation was to revise the constitution to stipulate that the minimum number of directors change from five to four.
View the full agenda and related attached reports on Council’s website at the link below.
Community & District Development Committee – Rotorua Lakes Council
Today’s meeting was livestreamed and you can view the recording via Council’s Youtube channel.