Rotorua: the good, bad and ugly

By ABIGAIL CASPARI

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Rotorua may be excelling in some areas but there's still plenty of room for improvement.
An analysis of everything that's good and everything that's bad or needs improvement shows that while Rotorua's crime rate is falling, the number of road crashes is rising rapidly. Incomes and academic achievement are improving but our children have poor oral health and too many of them are leaving school at 15.
The report, commissioned by the Rotorua District Council, shows crime rates in the year to June 2006 were the lowest in six years for the Rotorua District with 10,359 crimes reported to police, compared with 11,458 in the year ending June 2001.
Present rates are still too high and more needs to be done to reduce crime further, according to the first draft Community Outcomes Data Analysis Report.
There were 255 crashes resulting in injuries or death last year, compared with 142 six years ago.
The report highlights progress made towards achieving the district's eight top priorities which include safety, the environment, health, education, prosperity, Maori culture, the city's facilities and services and what there is to do in Rotorua.
Rotorua's APR Consultants compiled the report using information from police, government departments, local and regional councils, the 2006 Census and various surveys including the Rotorua Safety Perceptions Survey and Rotorua Community Outcomes Survey.
Most Rotorua people say they feel safe but there is still about 20 per cent who say they don't, citing high crime rates, burglaries and violence as reasons.
More than 90 per cent of Rotorua people feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods and city centre during the day.
However, less than half of those surveyed felt safe at night expressing concerns about groups of young people and poor lighting.
Rotorua police area commander Inspector Bruce Horne said police had focused on reducing crime but it had been a joint effort with other groups including the council and Neighbourhood Support.
Some witnesses or victims of family violence did not report it to police but that was changing, Mr Horne said.
Twelve people died in crashes in the Rotorua District last year while 54 were seriously injured and 189 received minor injuries with speed, alcohol and the lack of restraints the main contributing factors.
Educationally, Rotorua had 89 per 1000 15-year-olds applying for an exemption to leave school early compared to the national figure of 66 per 1000.
Just over 4 per cent of the city's students are playing truant compared with the national figure of 2.3 per cent.
However, just under 20 students per 1000 in Rotorua were stood down or suspended last year compared to the national average of 38.4 per 1000.
Nationally 87.1 percent of school leavers in 2005 had at least 14 credits at level 1 of NCEA while that number was 82.2 percent in Rotorua - a substantial increase from past years.
Rotorua has a poor oral health record with 12-year-olds having an average of 2.2 decayed, missing or filled teeth compared to a national average of 1.7.
A lot of Rotorua people recycle - about 77 per cent. However, a lot more Rotorua people use the landfill with each person taking out 1149kg last year compared to the national figure of 790kg per person.
The council's chief executive Peter Guerin said the report's aim is to promote effective co-ordination of community resources and the council would now work with other organisations and agencies to address the issues Rotorua needed to improve.