Restore Rotorua

IS ROTORUA FINALLY BUILDING BACK BETTER?

On 30th April 2020 Steve Chadwick said "We have adopted a Build Back Better strategy for Rotorua that aligns with the government's approach to fight the virus, cushion the impact and position for recovery".

Thank goodness a new council was elected to do just that.

Little did Rotorua realise what it would have to go through over the last 4-5 years before it could start rebuilding its reputation, tourism market and the buildings that suffered from the effects of housing the homeless people from around the nation.

Has that day finally arrived?

The former Ace Motor Lodge on Fenton Street has had a makeover and rebranded, Tuscany Villas and Emerald Spa seem to be joining forces having new exterior colours and rebranding, while the burnt out portion of Golden Glow is finally being rebuilt, after three years of what Councillor Trevor Maxwell described as looking like something out of the wild west.

"If we wish to rebuild our cities, we must first rebuild our neighbourhoods. And to do that, we must understand that the quality of life is more important than the standard of living" - Harvey Milk.

Tracey McLeod

WHY MHUD WON'T SET AN EXIT DATE FOR EMERGENCY HOUSING MOTELS

Attached is a spreadsheet recording the monthly Rotorua temporary housing dashboards since October 2022.

Using the same reduction percentage as the previous 12 months from October 2023 to October 2024, it is projected the following people will require emergency housing accommodation in Rotorua motels as of 31st December 2025;

90 - households (156 households less 42.2% reduction)
109 - households in Contracted Emergency Housing (135 households less 19.6% reduction)
1 - household in emergency housing Special Needs Grant (9 households less 86.9% reduction)
10 - households in transitional motel (12 households less 20% reduction)
132 - adults (207 adults less 36.1% reduction)
243 - children (267 less 9.1% reduction)
8 motels (13 motels less 38% reduction)

It raises questions re the accuracy of MHUD's collation of figures;
Based on the reduction patterns, there would be 120 households, which is 30 more households than the 90 projected household total.
8 motels would still be required at the end of 2025 - could this be why MHUD is not coming up with an exit strategy?
Ten months show an increase in the number of children living in motels. There was only a 9.1% reduction in children residing in motels, compared to a 26.1% reduction in adults from October 2023 to October 2024.

Numbers tell a story. That story is a nightmare, that both the occupants of the motels and the residents want to end. Only the Independent Commissioner can write the ending to this story, so this nightmare has a fairy tale ending.

Tracey McLeod