Council meeting wrap
Recent visits to Taiwan and sister cities in China and Japan were incredibly good value for Rotorua, providing opportunities for face-to-face promotion of our tourist destination, says Mayor Tania Tapsell.
She told today’s Council meeting, as part of reporting back on the visits, that it enabled her to meet with significant business leaders and promote our destination in a way not possible if not in person.
Council approved a recommendation to consider a Memorandum of Understanding with Pingtung County in Taiwan, which has strong cultural connections with Rotorua.
Council also approved a review of sister city relationships being undertaken for a decision to be made on the future direction for these. The review will include looking at current relationships to assess alignment with Council priorities and value to our community..
Today’s report follows Mayor Tania Tapsell and Councillor Fisher Wang’s visit to Taiwan for the Smart City Summit and Net Zero City Expo where Mayor Tapsell was invited to speak about the lead role Rotorua plays in sustainable energy. She also visited sister cities in China and in Japan, where she was invited to attend the 100-year anniversary celebrations in Beppu alongside a Rotorua delegation.
Council also today approved performance measures for inclusion in the 2024-2034 Long-term Plan and heard updates from the Corporate Services, Corporate Planning and Governance, and Te Arawa Partnerships groups.
See the agenda via this link on Council’s website: public-agenda-council-meeting-22-may-2024.pdf (rotorualakescouncil.nz).
The meeting was livestreamed and can be viewed at the following link on Council’s Youtube channel: Rotorua Lakes Council Meeting - 22 May 2024 (youtube.com)