Council decisions
Council has agreed to put forward a proposal to progressively increase the Lakes Enhancement Rate as part of deliberations on the draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan to help fund the shortfall created by Environment Minister Parker’s decision on the Rotoiti/Rotomā wastewater reticulation scheme.
The matter was raised as an urgent item for today’s Council meeting.
The Minister has been asked to reallocate $10m from a, to date unused, land use change incentives fund attached to the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme. Rotorua Lakes Council’s current Lake Enhancement Rate will then be progressively increased to enable repayment to that fund when it is required and requested by the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme Strategy Group.
The $10m would bring the Crown’s contribution to the reticulation scheme to 50 per cent of the actual cost, as committed to in the Deed of Funding for the lakes programme.
The incentives fund is currently underspent, hence the initial request for the funding to be reallocated. This request was approved by the Minister for the Environment in September 2022 but in May 2023 the Minister rescinded his decision.
When the Minister rescinded his initial approval Rotorua Lakes Council had already entered into contractual commitments to progress the reticulation scheme, based on the earlier approval, Council heard today.
The funding proposal outlined above will be considered during draft 2024-34 Long-term Plan deliberations which will go out for community consultation next year. Approval of this proposed solution will be sought from the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme Strategy Group when it meets next month.
The Strategy Group oversees the lakes programme, which is a partnership between Te Arawa Lakes Trust, Rotorua Lakes Council and Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Te Arawa Lakes Trust has already indicated its support for this proposed solution.
A report prepared for today’s meeting noted that Rotorua Lakes Council and Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes Programme Strategy Group support for the proposal would enable the Strategy Group to confirm a collective update for the Minister that a solution had been agreed.
Without an alternative funding method the full cost of the scheme would need to be met by the ratepayers at Rotoiti/Rotomā which would be approximately $35,000 per property. Using the Lakes Enhancement Rate would distribute that burden across all ratepayers.
Mayor Tapsell said she was “very concerned” about affordability for the affected community and if the Minister did not change his decision the proposal approved today would provide a guarantee to the Rotoiti/Rotomā community and demonstrate Council’s ongoing commitment to the reticulation scheme.
She noted that she had previously requested for the Minister for the Environment to reconsider his decision to reverse his initial approval and that no satisfactory response had been received.
Councillor Conan O’Brien said it was “a shame” the situation had reached this point and he was surprised a Minister, having authorised funding, had then withdrawn it. There would be significant impact on both the Rotoiti/Rotomā and wider community if a solution wasn’t found, he said.
See the report on this matter HERE on Council’s website
Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK in the recording on Council’s YouTube channel.
Approval for rates remissions for properties affected by high lake levels
Council has today approved rates remissions for properties affected by high lake levels and deemed uninhabitable.
A remission of 100% for the 2023/24 financial year for properties in this situation in the Rotoiti, Rotomā and Rotoehu lakes areas was approved. A 50% remission was recommended but Council was informed that a 100% remission was also an option and would also fit comfortably within the more than $500,000 remissions budget for the 2023/24 financial year.
A number of properties in these areas have been negatively impacted by rising water levels, a report prepared for today’s Council meeting noted. Council heard the properties for which rates relief was being sought had all experienced water inundation to varying degrees.
To date the council has received a total of 14 applications for rates relief from owners of properties affected by high lake levels with nine noted in the report prepared for Council’s consideration today and another five received since.
Mayor Tania Tapsell, who chaired today’s meeting, said it was a very troubling time for property owners in this situation and it was pleasing to be able to assist in this way.
The remission is a welfare response to the situation, separate from any regulatory process the council may be involved in with regards to affected properties.
Go to p11 of the meeting agenda to read the full report on this matter.
Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK in the recording on Council’s YouTube channel
Also on the agenda
Conference reports: Council received reports from Mayor Tapsell and Councillors Kai Fong, Don Paterson and Lani Kereopa, who attended this year’s Local Government New Zealand conference in Christchurch in July.
Go to p31 of the meeting agenda to read the report on this matter.
View Mayor Tania Tapsell’s conference report at this link: mayor-tapsell-report-back-on-lgnz-conference-26-28-july-2023.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz)
View Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong’s conference report at this link: cr-sandra-kai-fong-report-back-on-lgnz-conference-26-28-july-2023.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz)
View Councillor Don Paterson’s conference report at this link: cr-don-paterson-report-back-on-lgnz-conference-26-28-july-2023.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz)
View Councillor Lani Kereopa’s conference report at this link: cr-kereopa-report-back-on-lgnz-conference-26-28-july-2023.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz)
Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK in the recording on Council’s YouTube channel
Operational updates: Council received operational updates from three organisational groups.
Go to p14 of the meeting agenda to read the report from the Organisational Enablement Group. Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK
Go to p20 of the meeting agenda to read the report from the District Leadership and Democracy Group. Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK
Go to p27 of the meeting agenda to read the report from the Te Arawa Partnership Group. Go directly to this part of the meeting via THIS LINK
