Rowers get ideas for Rotorua flowing

The council's Ideas Store Row for Rotorua promotion is over. Celebrating its success are (clockwise from left rear) Steve Chadwick, Julia Edward, Dave Donaldson, Steve Gardiner, Sharon Vigor Brown, Richard Horn, Vernei Mullen and Grant Kilby. Photo / Ben Fraser

People keen to pass their ideas for Rotorua on to the council and spend a few minutes on a rowing machine have been rewarded for their efforts at the end of a Row for Rotorua promotion held in the Ideas Store on Tutanekai St.

The Rotorua Lakes Council Ideas Store has seen more than 1200 people come through its doors since it opened early last month, with a total of 893 ideas passed back to the council by Ideas Store manager Sharon Vigor Brown.

To qualify for prizes visitors had to submit an idea and row 500m with the fastest times picking up tickets to Crankworx in March and a three month pass to Gold's Gym donated by gym owner Steve Gardiner.

Mr Gardiner also loaned two rowing machines for people to use as part of the promotion.

The fastest rowers were Richard Horn, Vernei Mullen and Brynn Uriarau.

On hand to dish out the prizes on Christmas Eve was Rotorua's world champion rower Julia Edward.

Picking up Mr Uriarau's prize was Now Rotorua's Grant Kilby.

He said Mr Uriarau's idea was to provide free WiFi for the entire central city.

"We've just finished doing this for Napier's 130 WiFi hotspots and we want to be able to do the same for Rotorua," Mr Kilby said.

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick said the Ideas Store had worked very well and was a place for people to come and talk about anything the council was doing and offer their ideas for the future.

"It's great so many people have been involved and are passionate about the future of the city," she said.

Her grandson Manaia Chadwick had his own ideas for the city. He wanted to see more activities dotted around town for people biking through the city, like concrete table tennis tables people could play while having a break.

The Ideas Store closes on January 10.