Zizi Sparks: Rotorua council's legal action against motels has no winners

The council has taken legal action against nine motels. Photo / NZME

OPINION

Rotorua Lakes Council has lodged Environment Court action against nine motels for failing to comply with regulatory requirements that allow them to operate as emergency housing.

That sounds positive on the face of it.

The council is sending a message motels should be safe and fit for purpose if being used for emergency housing. It's not much to ask.

But, in my opinion, there will be no winners from this legal action.

The council confirmed the action this week after previously warning motel operators of their requirements to get resource consent to legally operate as emergency housing facilities. Under the District Plan, motels on main roads into Rotorua are only allowed to have visitors staying on a temporary basis.

If motels want to continue providing emergency housing they need to comply with the relevant regulations and requirements.

However, if the council wins the court action and motels are forced to stop offering emergency housing, the people currently in those motels would need somewhere else to live.

If the council loses and the motels remain as emergency housing, they will not comply with the District Plan and regulations and requirements, meaning the standard of living may be inadequate and not safe or fit for purpose. They may be eventually shut, leaving the occupants in the same boat as above.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick has previously expressed concern about non-Government-contracted motels in letters to Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni, saying the community was suffering due to drug use, violent behaviour, vandalism and other anti-social behaviours near the motels.

While taking legal action against motels may address this, it will be by moving people - and any potential problems - somewhere else.

Ministry of Social Development Bay of Plenty regional commissioner Mike Bryant said if enforcement action led to people having to leave emergency housing, the ministry would do its best to move them elsewhere in Rotorua.

We all know there is a housing shortage in Rotorua and New Zealand.

The council's housing plan refers to a 1500 to 1750 home shortfall as of 2019. In 2019 there were also 12 times as many people on the public housing register as in 2015.

We should be leaving those in emergency housing where they are, or it is time for other districts to step up.

In the Government's 2022 Budget it extended funding for Rotorua emergency housing out to 2026.

What about funding for other districts to offer emergency housing? Or even better, expanding other housing options - which may be needed if the council's legal action is successful.

Successful or not, there are no winners.