The Lakeland Queen needs to have a resource consent from the Rotorua Lakes Council to operate on Lake Rotorua. Photo / Laura Smith
A liquor licence application for the new-look Lakeland Queen has inadvertently uncovered a consenting glitch impacting other commercial operators on some Rotorua lakes and rivers.
The Rotorua Lakes Council has been forced to contact several operators after discovering existing rights to use the waterways no longer existed after a change to the District Plan a decade ago.
The Lakeland Queen has been dry-docked at Sulphur Point since October 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the iconic tourism operation into hibernation.
Under new owners Damon and Arna Hagaman, the paddleboat has been given a major makeover and is scheduled to be relaunched on Lake Rotorua tomorrow morning, as it prepares to reopen for business in about October.
The Hagamans told the Rotorua Daily Post they were working through the council’s consenting hiccup and were determined not to let it throw a spanner in the works.
Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the council became aware of the issue when Damon Hagaman applied for a liquor licence.
Gaston said the council must check applicants are compliant with the Resource Management Act and the Building Act before issuing a liquor licence.
He said the Lakeland Queen needed a resource consent to operate on the lake, required under legislation that came in following the District Plan review in 2012.
The council could not confirm whether operators were advised of the change during that review. The District Plan became operative in 2016.
Gaston did not confirm how many operators were impacted, and said the issue was under active investigation.
“Our priority is to first ensure that anyone who may be affected is contacted directly by council.”
He said the rule applied to all lakes and rivers covered by the Rotorua District Plan, except those within the plan’s Lakes A Zone.
Gaston said it was not uncommon for some provisions in the Resource Management Act to go unused for long periods of time, which he said appeared to be the case in this situation.
He said the council advised Hagaman to engage a consultant to support him through the resource consent process.
“We are keen to work alongside his consultant to ensure things progress smoothly.
“Now that this situation has come to light, we are also looking into the status of other operators and will work with anyone affected to address any consenting requirements.”
The Hagamans’ consenting consultant, Anna Grayling, told the Rotorua Daily Post it was unfortunate for the Hagamans and other commercial operators, as their continued operation was written into the Te Arawa Lakes Settlement Act in 2006, but that wasn’t reflected in the District Plan review.
“I’m focused on working constructively with council to secure the appropriate resource consent so my client can get back on the lake as soon as possible, which I hear is what Rotorua residents want.”
Grayling said having the consent in place would provide the certainty Hagaman and other operators needed.
“But it does add cost, which my clients and other operators would not have been aware to budget for.”
For now, those involved in the iconic boat’s launch were focused on getting it back in the water tomorrow.
“The Queen is still all go for the Thursday morning launch and we can’t wait. We will be there with bells on and hope to work through the consenting issues constructively with council staff,” Grayling said.
Rotorua Trout Guide owner Julian Danby said he was contacted by the council on Friday and told his business was impacted.
“It’s a little disappointing that something that has been under the mat for 10 years is now important enough for the council to add a consent framework. This is going to equate to more cost for not only myself but also the council.”
He said he was unsure of the basis of the resource consent and whether it was “just another way to clip the ticket”.
“We are supposed to be a pro-tourism council but this move doesn’t surprise me one bit.”
He said he was a small operator and would only use Lake Rotorua four to 10 times a year.
“Hopefully, there’s some common sense or there will be no fishing operators left on the Rotorua lakes. It’s already down to two operators.”
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.