Rotorua reserves for housing: Submission hearings start this week

Park Rd reserve is one of ten identified sites in the proposal. Photo / Andrew Warner

Residents who made submissions on Rotorua Lakes Council's reserves proposal have the chance to speak on their submissions this week, as the first of four hearings starts today.

The first two hearings will take place at council chambers today and tomorrow at 9.30am, and will be presented to the council's Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee. Two additional hearing dates were added on July 28 and August 1 to accommodate the large number of people wanting to speak to their submission.

Local Democracy Reporting revealed in April the council was discussing a proposal to sell 10 Rotorua reserve sites for housing.

The council proposes revoking the reserve status of the 10 sites to enable the council to sell six to Kāinga Ora for public and affordable housing – and the rest to other developers.

It was later revealed the Government began the discussion about reserves early last year.

The public consultation submission period started on May 30 and closed on July 14.

When submissions closed, 639 submissions were received. Of those, 160 were to be heard.

As a comparison, just 10 submissions were made for the council's proposed 5.7 per cent rates rise in June.

The statement of proposal requested feedback from the community through a number of questions, including if they supported the proposal to sell all or part of the sites identified for sale, which sites should be sold, how they used the reserves and what kind of housing development they would support if the sites were sold.

The Rotorua Daily Post looked through a cross-section of submissions from the 912-page document on the council's website.

Noelene Rapana supported the proposal because "we don't need all of the reserves, we need to house people".

"Rotorua has plenty of areas to go to but not enough housing."

Dan Cordero also supported the proposal.

"If we want to improve our city we need to increase the population. However, we need to attract the right kind of people. Those [who] are already educated, skilled, experienced and have the ethics to work and we need a lot of housing for these people."

Some of the reserves identified for proposed revocation, sale and development. Photo / Andrew Warner

However, Daniel Laidlaw did not support the proposal.

"The reserve is used by our whānau/community regularly, it's a safe place to run, play ball games, give dogs exercise, fly kites and is safe for our kids to play close by home.

"Once it's gone, it's gone forever. State housing will deteriorate our community."

Sheldon Draper also feared the effects of state housing.

"My family live on Coulter Rd - directly behind their home is the reserve that council is looking at selling.

"If this reserve is used for emergency housing I believe the community will turn out like how Fenton St has - crime, abuse, daily police sirens."

The council said no decisions had been made and community feedback would be used to assist with decision-making about whether to proceed and how.

Decisions still to be made include whether or not to proceed with the revocation and sale of any reserve or part reserve, the legal method for revocation and disposal, the reserves to be developed or enhanced with funds from the proceeds of any sales and any conditions to be applied to housing development by purchasers.