Rotorua's suburbs: Which are up, which are down

Aerial shot of Lynmore in Rotorua. Photo / Ben Fraser

Leafy Lynmore, followed by Kawaha Point and Ngongotaha South have been Rotorua's most popular suburbs to move to in the past seven years, according to latest Census figures.

In contrast people have almost been queuing up to leave Western Heights, Fordlands and Tikitere.

New residential housing subdivision developments and overseas buyers wanting good areas to live in are believed to be the reasons behind population increases in a select number of suburbs in Rotorua since 2006.

In contrast it is understood the population had dropped in suburbs where residents had lost jobs and left to find work elsewhere in the country or Australia.

According to the 2013 Census figures, three suburbs - Lynmore (up 201), Kawaha Point (up 132) and Ngongotaha South (up 111) - had all experienced population rises since the last Census in 2006.

New housing subdivisions near Lynmore and Ngongotaha in recent years had contributed to the increases.

In contrast, population drops in Western Heights (down 318), Tikitere (down 213), Fordlands (down 207) and Springfield (down 195) showed people left, possibly to find work elsewhere.

Rotorua Rentals owner Richard Evans said he was not surprised by the population swing.

"The rental market is volatile ... there is a flood of low quality rental housing available in areas such as Western Heights - home owners have lost jobs and have rented out the house to move to Australia to find work," he said.

"These areas are hard to sell a house at the moment so they end up as rentals. There's plenty of vacant rentals as the lower end of the market is just flooded.

"But in the top end there is a real shortage of rentals - it's grossly under supplied, it's like gold dust."

Mr Evans said people employed from overseas arrived in the city wanting to live in nice suburbs and were willing to pay the going rate.

In contrast tenants can almost name their own rent for low quality rental houses, he said.

The number of building consents for new houses in Rotorua had almost halved in the past three years.

Rotorua District Council processed 107 building consents in 2011 - with a total value of $24.3 million - compared to 50 ($16.2 million) so far this calender year.

Last year 96 building consents were granted - with a total value of $23.8 million.

Council building services manager Darrell Holder said areas where new houses were being built had varied.

"Lynmore has proved popular with the Iles Rd and Butler Pl subdivisions providing a consistent amount of applications over the past 24 months."

Almost 60 sections had been developed on Iles Rd with many new houses built and later rented out.

In the past two years Rotorua Lakes High School's roll had jumped 200 to around 700 pupils.

Lynmore Primary School had implemented zoning restrictions as more families moved into the area.

Meanwhile in Hamurana, a smattering of lifestyle block development had helped increase the number of people living in the area.