6 November 2023
Media: Rotorua Daily Post
Topic: Liquor licensing hearing
Enquiry
I’m just wondering if you can help with a few details.
Is the Ambrosia liquor licensing hearing still set down for today? Do you know if a decision will be made today and if it is, could I please get a copy of it?
Response
We confirmed the hearing was taking place today (Nov 6) and that a decision typically took a couple of weeks to be reached. The reporter was informed there was no livestream and she could contact us to receive the decision.
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Media: Local Democracy Reporter
Topic: Pensioner housing
Enquiry
I saw the item on pensioner housing in this week's [Community and District Development Committee meeting] agenda and had a couple questions and comment for response, please.
Council last looked at leasing to a CHP in 2018 - why was this not progressed? Noting Habitat for Humanity was the only one investigating this at the time.
What makes this a possibility now?
Has anyone signalled an interest? Who?
I asked Mary Smith at the Rawhiti Flats whether she had been contacted about the potential for change and she said she had not.
She recalled the possibility last time and how she had needed to show interested representatives around the property. She said they saw the "state of the flats" and one man said "they are not very well maintained" after being shown through, and the last she heard was that it all "fell over".
She said rent under the council had been cheap and she worried about a possibility this would increase under a CHP, but also said tenant concerns may be heard quicker.
Subsequent from reporter:
Also just want to check some math - the estimated cost for refurbishment of the existing vacant units is $1.63M. This is based on an average cost of $60,000 per unit
But 23 x $60,000 is $1.38m. Just as that's a bit of a difference can this please be explained?
Response
We were unable to check in with the relevant GMs for potential comment but provided the reporter with the following information to assist her:
Re: previous time Rotorua Lakes Council looked at pensioner housing – please refer to p35 of the 2018-2028 Long-term Plan which sets out what was done, the decision made and why at that time
For more background about then as well as why this is being looked at again now, please refer to the recent presentation and discussion at the elected members’ LTP workshop held 17 October.
Go to THIS LINK in the livestream recording of the 17 October workshop to view this part of the workshop and you’ll find the presentation slides are at THIS LINK (scroll down to Proposal 5 – Pensioner Housing).
Re: Informing tenants about options for improving pensioner housing – all tenants received a letter from RLC, dated 18 October, delivered by council staff.
Re: the estimated cost – the $60,000 per unit is an average rather than an exact costing. Not all will cost the same.