Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Letters: Lack of housing consultation 'foolish'

Rotorua Daily Post
5 Apr, 2018 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A new special housing development is proposed for Ngongotaha. PHOTO/FILE

A new special housing development is proposed for Ngongotaha. PHOTO/FILE

Ryan Gray (Letters, 4 April) accused the RDRR of feigning concern and childish opposition-for-opposition's sake to the Special Housing Areas (SHAs) in Ngongotaha. He did this by taking a dozen words out of context from our Alternative Spatial Plan that suggested a policy flip-flop.

Our Alterative Spatial Plan dated 29 May 2017 is available at our website. It acknowledges the housing crisis, the need for more high-density housing, and that Ngongotaha was among other areas suggested for residential expansion and greater densification.

Acknowledging problems is one thing. Evaluating the two SHA proposals being boosted by council 10 months later is another. Hardly a flip-flop.

Indeed, RDRR can't take a position on the SHAs because many key documents are secret. Examples? Is there enough infill capacity to meet housing needs? What is the infrastructure plan?

The key point is that council used the 'no notification in any circumstances' clause in the Special Housing Areas Act (2013) to avoid having to provide such information and to consult all affected parties. A foolish political decision in a democracy, in my view.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

So, we called a public meeting to inform the community about the proposed SHAs, and to collect and provide feedback to the mayor and councillors from the community.

My tip is that, just as the Special Housing Act will expire in 18 months, so will the term of current mayor and council, permanently in the case of those who don't listen to the community.

REYNOLD MACPHERSON
Rotorua

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bilingual city
Reading Harry Brasser's letter, published Easter Monday, was a surprise that wasn't a surprise. It is likely Mr Brasser is of a generation who grew up monolingual in Aotearoa, or elsewhere.

While English is widely spoken, in most parts of the world it is not the sole language of users. The benefits of being multilingual go far beyond practical communication.

For many or even most younger New Zealanders, bilingual signage and/or the use of Te Reo Maori is normalised, welcoming and encouraging. For others it is intriguing and enriching, even when not part of their lived experience growing up in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Positive attitudes towards our indigenous (and official) language are not confined to younger New Zealanders, although much more common among them.

Discover more

Residents fired up over 190-home development

06 Apr 09:00 PM

Housing developer: I want to help the community

06 Apr 08:30 PM

Personally, I welcome the use of Te Reo Maori in our homes and communities and feel proud that we are now a bilingual city. Other cities will follow. Fortunately, the negativity towards Te Reo Maori expressed by Mr Brasser, is passing into history.

RUTH THOMAS
Rotorua

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Rotorua Daily Post

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

04 Jul 01:08 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

04 Jul 02:00 AM

Peter was trapped under a tractor for hours on his Mangakino farm.

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

Farmer's harrowing hours crushed beneath tractor

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

'Social dysfunction at its worst': Two people sentenced over Rotorua teen prostitution ring

04 Jul 01:08 AM
'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

'A f****** ugly mess': Gang boss' text after fatal hotbox attack on mate of 20 years

04 Jul 12:24 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP