- The recently passed Air Quality By-Law concerns me in that once passed we have very little control over it....it will be run by Regional Council. I agreed we have a problem here in Rotorua but feel that the affected areas should be addressed before getting everyone to rip out their fireplaces
- Growth for our district is paramount. Council must work "with" and not "against" growth. It is important we have good business representation on Council to counter-balance the beareaucratic influence.
- Our Geothermal field is uniquely our own. Once we relied upon it for Rotorua growth and prosperity but we need to enhance it now to once again become leaders. It is now under the control of Regional Council so we must work had to ensure its benefits are returned to Rotorua people and not consumed by the jaws of Regional Council
No issues on file for Kingi Biddle.
No issues on file for Michael Brady.
- Economic Growth = Jobs = A Buoyant Community
More than anything, Rotorua needs positive growth. Proactive initiatives such as the 'Grow Rotorua Fund' and our partnership with Scion in 'Waste to Gold' are great, but that is just the beginning.
We must encourage close and enduring relationships with our business leaders,developers and Iwi, all sharing the same goals for the future. Developing an attitude of helping, rather than hindering devlopment within council is essential to encourage businesses to pick Rotorua as the #1 place to be. - Council Efficiencies = Lower Rates
In the past 3 years council has made huge efforts to become more efficient and therefore less costly. Areas such as power consumption, preferred suppliers for purchasing and sharing services with other BOP councils have made great savings. This is a good start, but more can be done. Do we provide too many non-core services? Do we employ consultants too often when paid staff could do the same job? Are our policies sometimes too rigid, making council unable to make the correct economic decisions? I believe that a close look in all of these areas would provide very fruitful savings to our community. - CBD/Lakefront Revitalisation.
What is Rotorua's main business? Tourism. We have fabulous accommodation, and great attractions, but our CBD is tired, empty, and disconnected from Central Mall and the lakefront. Changing all that wont happen overnight, but we can make a start toward making Rotorua a vibrant, must see place, where locals and tourists alike want to shop and play. - Community Safety
Council is already proactive in this area but we can do more. Being the glue that holds other social agencies together is an essential council role. Council can ensure that initiatives such as CCTV cameras, good lighting and planning, liquor bans are supported. Community groups looking after their own areas are vital and need our help. We have to do whatever we can to prevent more liquor outlets, and with the help of police,address youth drinking activites head on. - Looking After Our Assets
Whaka Forest, Geothermal, Lakes
Rotorua is sitting on an asset of immense value- geothermal. With modern technology, heat and energy can now be accessed from geothermal fileds, with no damage to cultural and tourist areas. Lets do all it takes to use geothermal for the financial benefit of all our ratepayers. Whaka forest plays a vital part in the lives of locals and tourists alike. Maintaining a close relationship with Iwi is essential as its value to Rotorua as a destination is huge. Our lakes are still vulnerable. Keeping our foot on the pedal with their cleanup is essential.
- 'A safer Rotorua'. Aside from other responsibilities such as Civil Defence and food safety, Council has a leading role to play in reducing Alcohol-related Harm and Road Trauma, particularly as they affect our younger more vulnerable citizens. In partnership with Govt Agencies and Organisations, through it's regulatory arm and by the use of temporary and permanent liquor bans, Council can make a major contribution to alcohol harm reduction. Councils also need legislation enabling them to control the proliferation of liquor outlets in inappropriate locations. As Chair of the District Road Safety Action Planning Committee I've supported initiatives and programmes to educate young drivers and their passengers on the need to make wise safe choices. As the Council appointee to the Drivewise Trust I recognise the the value of this committee in bringing road safety and sustainable transport issues to the attention of the decision-makers.
- 'Stewardship of our natural and built environment'. Council has a major role to play in the protection and enhancement of our environment. Relationships and protocols with Iwi and other landowners/managers, developers, and community care groups must be fostered to ensure sustainable development and to maintain momentum on environmental protection projects. Council must stick to it's infrastructure program [e.g. wastewater reticulation of lakeside communities] and search for new technologies and partnerships [e.g. Waste 2 Gold] so that we leave a legacy of lakes, forests and reserves that remain healthy and can be accessed and enjoyed for generations to come. The revitalisation of the Rotorua Lakefront and our CBD north of Victoria St requires the continued careful attention and energy of Rotorua's next Council.
- 'Economic Development'. Rotorua's next Council must shoulder responsibility for making real progress on key infrastructure projects essential to underpinning economic growth. These projects include 4-laning of Lake Rd, the Victoria St arterial project as well as an upgrade of our waste-water treatment plant. Council needs to encourage innovative and appropriate applications to the 'Grow-Rotorua development fund' to ensure this fund delivers real growth in jobs and wages for the District. Completion of the Rotorua International Airport extensions is budgeted for and will be completed in the term of the next Council. I pledge to ensure that where appropriate, provision for alternative sustainable transport options, including walking and cycling, is considered relative to all these projects.
- 'Fostering continued development as a vibrant cultural and events destination'. Establishment of the new Tourism Standing Committee will be an important step in lifting our share of the visitor market. Council must provide funding and leadership to ensure we retain and build Rotorua's portfolio of quality events while at the same time enhancing Rotorua's position as a fun and exciting place to live.
- 'Affordable and equitable rates'. I am proud of the current Council's achievements in the area of the rating review and the control of rate increases. That said, there is work still to be done and inflationary pressures are mounting. Capital projects cannot be deferred forever. Rotorua's next Council will have more hard decisions to make in ensuring the ownership of property [residential-business-farming] in our District remains affordable for most. This is a key factor in enabling people and businesses to not only remain here, but to make the decision to [re]locate here.
- ISSUE NUMBER ONE: GROWTH. Rotorua needs a strong policy for economic growth with strategies to attract new business. Rotorua is a great city but for some reason we are not attracting new business to set up here. Population growth will only come through growth in employment, which will come with growth in business. We need to set this as a priority for the next term of Council. Rotorua needs to diversify from its focus on the traditional core sectors of tourism, forestry and farming into higher yielding and higher wage sectors of business. However, we should not expect Council to take sole responsibility for economic growth. If it’s left solely to them we are unlikely to have the success we deserve. Past Councils have done a great job in providing the infrastructure, but now the time for continued spending on large scale developments (with perhaps the exception of the lakefront) is past. We need to focus our energy and resource on active economic growth. The only way that I see that we are going to achieve growth is for the whole of community to work as a team to drive us forward. But we can expect our Mayor and Council to lead us forward, to be the flag bearer, to bring us all together in striving for a bigger and better Rotorua.
- ISSUE NUMBER TWO – A CAN DO ATTITUDE. We need a business friendly and supportive approach from Council with a ‘can do’ attitude when dealing with development proposals. Differences of opinion are evident. Council maintains they have a very positive attitude, but many in business consider they fall well short of having a positive 'can do' attitude to development. We need more transparency from Council. If the Council attitude really is positive, then better transparency will prove the case. If it the business view of the situation is correct, then let’s not cast the blame, let’s work actively to fix the faults and make a better system that welcomes development. Development contributions for brown field developments should be removed. In many cases the property owners have paid through their rates for many of the infrastructural developments we have today. It is double dipping. If we want businesses to invest in our city to bring more employment and more people then why are we taxing them for doing something that is to our benefit? It doesn't make sense.
- ISSUE NUMBER THREE: THE SIZE OF COUNCIL I have been very public in my concern about the increased size of our local authority. The RDC is the second largest employer in Rotorua. When the Super Service Centre was opened, ten staff were made redundant, but eight more were employed in a variety of positions. I believe that Council has got involved in an increasing number of activities that are not core business. This has resulted in corresponding increases in administrative and support staff, accounts, IT, HR departments and such. I am not going to get into a battle to say that Council is not running those departments efficiently. They may or they may not be, we just don't know. But a number of departments could be considered for an alternative management model that could take them outside the direct management of Council. I think the time is right for an external independent review of these units to see if there is a better way of doing things. Privatisation or contracting out some work does not necessarily mean a loss of revenue to Council, nor a reduction in service standards. Management rights or contracts for service could continue a revenue stream and could reduce costs and lower the rates burden.
- ISSUE NUMBER FOUR – BETTER MANAGEMENT OF RATES
In the past six years, rates have risen considerably. This last year prior to the election, the rates increases were kept at 1 per cent. However, that low level of rates increases were achieved by deferring major project work. RDC administration are suggesting that such a low level of rates increases are unsustainable and future years budgets will need to see these deferred projects re-introduced possibly resulting in a higher level of rates increases. Although I support the development of infrastructure that we have seen in recent years, we need to realize that we cannot expect existing residents to keep paying more and more through individual property rates. So how do we manage future development? It needs to be by increasing the number of ratepayers, both residential and business. Hence the imperative for growth. I firmly believe we need to develop and articulate a vision that sees Rotorua with a population of close to 150,000 in 2060. It’s quite possible if you consider that just 50 years ago we were close to 10,000 in population. This level of growth will allow increased rating revenue from a larger number of ratepayers rather than consistently increasing individual rates as they have done over the last 15 years. - ISSUE NUMBER FIVE: IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF ROTORUA'S AIR AND LAKES WATER. I support the continued development of sewerage schemes around the Lakes. I firmly believe that the only viable long-term option to reduce the nutrient in-flows is to consider major land use change. Although this strategy is clearly stated by EBOP, Rotorua District Council can manage further encroachment of high nutrient exporting farming land by defined District Plan policies. Air Quality is one of the important issues facing Rotorua over the next term of Council. Although EBOP have indicated in their annual plan that they are introducing initiatives to manage the quality of air, there are strategies that the local RDC can introduce. The key areas are those older residential areas were many of the wood burners are non compliant. I support the introduction of a by-law that seeks to manage ongoing compliance. I recognise that there were problems with the suggested legislation in this year’s RDC annual plan, but there should be a commitment to sort those problems out and come up with a workable solution
No issues on file for Mark Gould.
No issues on file for Dennis Hanson.
- Strengthening Community Safety
I want all Rotorua residents to love where they live because they feel safe here. One area that needs more attention is street and amenity lighting. I believe Council has a responsibility to improve street lighting in our older suburbs. By targeting Council spending where it is most needed and by employing good environmental design we can address problem areas.
When we work with the local residents they become actively involved in the ongoing care of their neighbourhoods and this helps foster a growing community spirit for the majority who live there. This involves active maintenance by Council and dedicated community groups working together caring for our parks and gardens, stream margins and walkways. Where the council cares deeply, neighbourhoods flourish. This helps to create a feeling of safety and a sense of pride about where we live. - Improving Lakes Water Quality
The continued sewerage reticulation of lakeside communities and the active promotion of land use change for farming and multiple owned Maori land, is making a difference. These and other steps will continue to assist in the fight to clean up the Te Arawa Lakes. We need to work with farmers facing land use and nitrogen capping challenges and strengthen our relationship. We must acknowledge the enormity of the issues facing our region and the fact that we can’t make a difference in isolation. We can significantly change the outcomes, working together.
I support the continued education of our whole district about the health of our lakes and this means informing everyone of the steps they can take to help improve water quality. This can be as simple as moving to phosphate free cleaning products. I hope to continue my involvement on the Rotorua Lakes Community Board to further progress improving water quality and other issues of importance to these communities. - Sustainable Business Development
Council participation is vital to enhance opportunities for business in Rotorua. The council’s role is no longer that of merely a regulator, but is also that of a leader, partner and facilitator. Council and business must become willing and active partners to enable business to grow.
As a councillor, I will support a review of council policies that appear to hinder change. I will also support changes that acknowledge the business aspirations of members of our community. There are some much needed changes required to the District Plan, such as zoning and subdivision and these will be instrumental in the redevelopment of the CBD and district.
Further expansion of our successful partners’ programme will continue to enhance the life of our inner-city. New initiatives along the lines of Eat Streat and the Night Market, will provide further impetus to retail development and spending.
A healthy relationship between business and the community is imperative to ensure that our city evolves in a way that is in harmony with our identity, social, environmental and cultural values. - Keeping Rates Affordable
I believe it is important to plan for the current and future needs of our ratepayers. This requires continual evaluation of the levels of service expected by the ratepayers, balanced against their ability to pay. It is important for council to evaluate its own performance to ensure that the ratepayer is getting value for money. Your feedback is vital in keeping me aware of the changing needs of the community and your willingness to highlight those areas where there is still work to be done. - Enhancing the Visitor Experience
Tourism will always be a mainstay of the Rotorua economy with one in five residents employed in the industry. Visitors to Rotorua, whether for pleasure or business, contribute significantly to our economy.
The council has made major investments in infrastructure such as the Energy and Events Centre and the Rotorua International Airport to promote Rotorua as a destination. Events are now a major drawcard to Rotorua and I plan to have the issue of local event signage seriously addressed and the continued promotion of Rotorua on the international stage.
No issues on file for Geoff Kenny.
No issues on file for Cliff Lee.
No issues on file for Bob Martin.
No issues on file for Brett Marvelly.
No issues on file for Trevor Maxwell.
No issues on file for Brian McGillivray.
No issues on file for Mike McVicker.
No issues on file for Rene Mitchell.
No issues on file for Shaloh Mitchell.
No issues on file for Hera Naera.
No issues on file for Merepeka Raukawa-Tait.
No issues on file for Glenys Searancke.
- Common sense
- Accountability
- Core services
- Efficiency
- Lower rates
- Balanced Voice on Council Issues: - I believe that I can being a balanced point of view to all council issues and will ensure that Big Business demands are balanced by a Family / community focused voice. It is the people of Rotorua that make Rotorua the wonder place it is to live and not big business’s. While businesses are an important part of Rotorua, it is the people whom are the biggest asset of this City. Council needs to ensure that it starts to put the Family’s of Rotorua first.
- No Privatisation of Council Core Assets: - I believe that Council Assets need to be protected from Privatisation to ensure that Core services (Water, Refuge, Library, The Aquatic Centre, etc) remain free to all Residents. I also believe that Council departments need to be held accountable to Rotorua Rate payers to ensure that any increases in rates are justified and kept to a minimum.
- Economic Growth of all sectors: - The council needs to focus on all sectors of the economy as Rotorua will not move forward if we only focus on one or two sectors. There are many small to medium size business in Rotorua that are doing well and we need to ensure that we assist them in moving forward. We also need to focus on attracting new business's to set up / relocate to Rotorua which in turn will help stimulate other sectors of the economy.
- The Rotorua Community: - The Council has a leading role to play in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all Rotorua Residents. It needs to work along side other Govt Agencies and Community Groups to ensure that all members of the community are safe, are treated fairly and have access to the resources they need. We need to ensure that we maintain local parks and encourage more community involvement / community pride in these areas and stamp out crime, drugs and alcohol in the community.
The council also has a social responsibility to ensure that when passing bylaws that they take into account the emotional and financial impact these decisions are having on the poor and middle income workers / family’s of this great city. Given the fact that Rotorua is surrounded by Water ways and that many of our local schools do not have the resources to teach our precious kids to swim, I would also like to see FREE swimming lessons made available to local residents. - Our Kids: - The Council has to do more to help protect and develop the kids of Rotorua. I believe that we as community are failing our precious children in the areas of Obesity, Teen Pregnancy / Std’s, Unemployment, Dental Health, Teen Suicide, Smoking, Drug and Alcohol abuse, Child abuse. It is important that we start talking about these issues and find ways to deal with the root causes. We need to turn the current trend around and help our kids see a bright future ahead and get them involved.
- Youth Crime and Community well being. Cleaning up the bad rap that Rotorua has been receiving lately by pro-actively engaging with the youth of Rotorua.
- Ensure our education, health, welfare, roading, Property services and infrastructure can meet our needs into the future.
- Work with Central Government, Iwi, EBOP, Sector Groups to promote Rotorua's future and to make a difference towards water quality in our lakes and clean air.
- Support TOTALLY - Castlecorp, Rotorua Museum, Rotorua Library, Rotorua Aquatic Centra and parks to provide reasonably priced services
- Stand up for ALL Residents/Rate Payers
No issues on file for Paora Te Hurihanganui.
No issues on file for Maureen Waaka.
No issues on file for Janet Wepa.
- 1. PROSPERING;
A successful prospering community
Creating an environment where people and businesses are motivated to be successful.
• Encouraging private enterprise (a solution orientated friendly council environment)
• Streamlined resource consents processes.
• An attractive, vibrant, fun and exciting city centre
• Enhancing tourism as an iconic sector of Rotorua's economy
• Celebrating and promoting our district's unique qualities - 2. CARING; Creating a safe and caring home & community
The mutual caring and respect for cultural diversity, a place where families and whānau are safe and strong.
• Safe homes and streets / Less crime
• Support for young people and older people
• Organizations working together on agreed priorities
• Providing safe public spaces
• Respect for cultural diversity - 3. RESPECTING; A community that respects its environment
Respect and understand the needs of our lakes, streams, forests and geothermal resources; commitment to sustaining, improving the natural environment as the treasured asset that it is.
• Managing and protecting geothermal resources and our springs, trout, lakes, forests, geysers
• Historical sites and buildings are protected and promoted
• Looking after our air, land and water resources
• Waste reduction, re-use and recycling
• Conserving energy and reducing our reliance on non-renewable energy - * Wherever possible, I have used the Rotorua community outcomes data analysis Report (APR Consultants 2007) on Rotorua as a blueprint and inspiration. The Report, the only document about Rotorua that references submissions from more than 800 local people, from a broad cross-section of the community. This report clearly lays out the challenges and opportunities that confront us all.
