Mamaku woman: We can't even get footpaths

Deborah Campbell has concerns about infrastructure in Mamaku, including open drains. Photo / Stephen Parker

Mamaku residents say they have been neglected when it comes to provision of basic infrastructure but the council says more than $4 million has been spent in the area in the past few years.

Deborah Campbell grew up in Mamaku and still has family there. She said she represented a group of residents worried about infrastructure in the village, particularly open stormwater drains in the area.

"Health and safety is the key concern.

"There are streets with no footpath or kerbing, the rates have gone up and we don't have basic infrastructure.

"I don't think that's too much to ask for from 720 ratepayers."

Campbell said she had spoken to the Rural Community Board and Rotorua Lakes Council as well as the Mamaku Residents and Ratepayers Group about the issue.

"This needs to be done before money-wasting things like extending the cycleway. People are seeing all that happen down there [in town] and can't even get basic footpaths," she said.

But the council's general manager of infrastructure, Stavros Michael, said it was working alongside the Rotorua Rural Community Board and the Mamaku Residents and Ratepayers to prioritise infrastructure capital investment in Mamaku.

"Such investment is on top of normal asset maintenance investment for existing roads, pipes, pumps etc."

Michael said more than $4m had been spent on key infrastructure upgrades in Mamaku "in the past few years" including on roading, streetlights, parking and footpaths.

This included upgrades to roads, parking and footpaths, installing streetlights and upgrading the water treatment plant.

"Council has approximately 150km of open drains across the entire district. Almost all infrastructure networks come with a certain amount of risk and it is council's responsibility to assess that risk and mitigate it accordingly.

"Factors such as historical incidents and the likelihood of future injury influence council's assessment in risk and as we are unaware of any incidents we can say these drains are considered low risk."

Rotorua Rural Community Board chairwoman Shirley Trumper said the board was brought in to advocate on rural issues for 8000 residents in eight communities, three rural villages and many businesses.

"We are willing to work with residents from our rural network who are willing to work with us to find practicable solutions.

"The board has no input into the funding of infrastructure and or priorities, as much as we would like to move faster, changing policy or priorities takes time."

Wendy Roe from the Mamaku Residents & Ratepayers Group said members of the group and rural board had looked at the drains with the council and were waiting for a report.

"It's something we're dealing with.

"We've been aware of it for a long time. In some way Mamaku feels a little bit left behind ... At the same time there are wonderful things happening in Mamaku."

Roe said the association would continue to push for progress.