City Focus options on council agenda

Rotorua Lakes Council

Rotorua Lakes Council members will be asked to start consultation on three possible options for the City Focus at a council meeting tonight.

The agenda for the council's meeting reveals three options have been drafted up for the City Focus with the intent of "increasing sightlines, achieving better traffic movements and ensuring the space can still be used for events and meeting family and friends".

A report prepared by the council's inner-city lead adviser, Portia McKenzie, states there would be "little to no costs for consultation" at "approximately $2000".

Two rounds of public consultation on the current effectiveness of City Focus have already been undertaken.

They showed the public would like to see the space amended but not entirely removed, the report concludes.

Earlier this year councillors voted to approve a multimillion-dollar project to revitalise the inner city, which included deciding the future of the City Focus.

Tonight's meeting will also see councillors vote on handing back ownership of Taniwha Springs to iwi.

That follows a unanimous recommendation earlier this month from the council's strategy, policy and finance committee for the springs to be transferred from the council to Ngati Rangiwewehi.

The transfer would be at no cost to the iwi and subject only to an easement allowing the council to continue taking water until the current consent expires in 2018.

* The council meeting will be in the council chamber at Rotorua Lakes Council's Civic Centre tonight, from 7pm. It is open to the public.