"That is a $10 million improvement on what we budgeted for in the first year of the Long-term Plan.
"When you compare how we were with similar levels of capital spend between 2009 and 2014, I think it's a pretty remarkable performance," he said.
During the discussion about the City Focus, councillor Peter Bentley said he was pleased construction had been delayed as it provided the opportunity for more public say.
"Thank you for doing a deferment on this as it is going to give the voting ratepayers a chance to express their pleasure or displeasure of the status of the Focus... [It was] a very hasty procedure we undertook initially so it's a marvellous opportunity for Rotorua ratepayers to have a vote on it."
Mayor Steve Chadwick said the process "certainly did not appear to be hasty to me".
The council's Inner City Revitalisation strategy lead adviser, Portia McKenzie, said consultation started more than two years ago, and the council had sought input from stakeholders, iwi and the public.
In today's Rotorua Daily Post council chief executive Geoff Williams said the delay was a result of just one company tendering for the project. That tender was not accepted.
He said the major construction work, due to have begun last month, was likely to start in the first quarter of 2017.
