NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell targets backpackers, hostels and motels that might be operating unsafely

Laura Smith
By Laura Smith
Local Democracy Reporter·Rotorua Daily Post·
29 Oct, 2023 05:06 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell is looking at backpackers, hostels and motels that might be operating unsafely. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell is looking at backpackers, hostels and motels that might be operating unsafely. Photo / Andrew Warner

Rotorua’s mayor is targeting motels, hostels and backpackers that might be operating unsafely by taking in long-term tenants as the council aims to crack down on central city crime.

Tania Tapsell plans to bring these types of accommodation providers into the city’s housing accord, a multi-party agreement formed last year to reduce the number of emergency housing motels to near zero.

After it was signed, Tapsell said the district had felt the effects of emergency housing socially, culturally, environmentally and economically.

One emergency housing motel resident described her experience as a breach of human rights being an understatement.

Tapsell sat down with Local Democracy Reporting ahead of her first-year anniversary as mayor this month to share her thoughts on what the council had achieved.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Tapsell said one of the biggest issues leading into last year’s local body election was emergency housing.

“Within two months, we signed a housing accord, which was our exit plan from the negative impacts of motels.”

The Rotorua Housing Accord, signed in December last year by the Government, the council and local iwi representatives aimed to “progressively reduce the use of motels for emergency housing in Rotorua to near zero”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell says it is looking to include hostels and backpackers into the housing accord. Photo / Laura Smith
Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell says it is looking to include hostels and backpackers into the housing accord. Photo / Laura Smith

Tapsell said there was now half the number of households in motels. The impact had been huge, she said, particularly for increasing the confidence and pride of Rotorua being a “great place to live and visit”.

Asked if there were any unforeseen consequences of the accord, Tapsell said she held concerns over the use of backpackers and hostels.

In a May meeting, police and the council set a goal to halve violent crime and antisocial behaviour in Rotorua’s CBD by 2026.

At the time, Rotorua area commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika said demand for police services from October 2022 to March 2023 in Fenton St compared with the year before showed a “significant reduction”.

Discover more

New Zealand

McClay: Work starts now to restore Rotorua's reputation

15 Oct 05:02 PM
New Zealand

‘It’s awesome’: Pensioner welcomes new window after two-year wait

20 Oct 03:06 AM
New Zealand

'Extraordinary': Homeless refuse help - and face being trespassed from reserves

21 Oct 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Council considers time limits at three popular parking spots

17 Oct 05:00 PM

“Where it has gone up is in our backpackers and hostels ... we know the number of emergency motels on Fenton St have reduced but the people from there - this is the assumption - have gone into backpackers and gone into hostels.”

Rotorua area commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika. Photo / Laura Smith
Rotorua area commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika. Photo / Laura Smith

Providing an additional response to Local Democracy Reporting about her comments, Tapsell said she met with then-Housing Minister Megan Woods and representatives from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Social Development in September, “to discuss the issues Rotorua is still experiencing with emergency housing motels and crime”.

“I raised the concern that we’re seeing the use of backpackers and hostels for longer-term tenancies ... which are unlikely to be meeting landlord requirements and are therefore unsafe and an inappropriate use of the building.

“We agreed that we’ll address this within the Rotorua Housing Accord which is a positive step forward.”

Tapsell was concerned about 14 providers - including backpackers, hostels and motels - that the council believed might be taking in long-term tenants.

Council staff were working with the owners of these establishments to confirm how they operated, if they were compliant with their existing resource consents or if a change of consent use was required, she said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The accord would need to be reviewed as the council could not “get complacent”, she said.

Tapsell said the council would need to wait for a new government to be finalised and she would meet with any relevant incoming ministers about “the best way forward” to deliver better outcomes for locals.

“During the election campaign, National indicated they would end the use of emergency housing motels in Rotorua within two years and look to work more closely with Community Housing Providers.

“This has strong alignment to what [the] council and our community have asked for. We’re looking forward to progressing this as soon as possible.”

A police spokesperson said police regularly meet with the Ministry of Social Development, the Rotorua Lakes Council, and other partners where backpackers and hostels are discussed as part of general conversations around safety in our communities.

They said it was a complex issue that police could not solve alone.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.

- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air


Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Serious injuries': Crews work to free people after Tasman SH6 crash

19 Jun 09:24 AM
Premium
Opinion

Opinion: Jewish communities facing increased threats

19 Jun 09:00 AM
New Zealand

Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw

19 Jun 07:57 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

'Serious injuries': Crews work to free people after Tasman SH6 crash

'Serious injuries': Crews work to free people after Tasman SH6 crash

19 Jun 09:24 AM

Emergency services were called to the scene about 8.30pm.

Premium
Opinion: Jewish communities facing increased threats

Opinion: Jewish communities facing increased threats

19 Jun 09:00 AM
Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw

Thirty-one players win $12k each in Lotto's Second Division draw

19 Jun 07:57 AM
Probe into man who abused girl as he read her stories led to another sinister finding

Probe into man who abused girl as he read her stories led to another sinister finding

19 Jun 07:00 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP