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A Rotorua district councillor has expressed concern about children growing up in motels next door to gang members and Australia s 501 deportees. Rotorua Lakes councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait. Source: Local Democracy Reporting
By Felix Desmarais, Local Democracy Reporter
Rotorua Lakes councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait made the comments at a council Strategy, Policy and Finance Committee meeting on Thursday as part of discussions surrounding a draft council plan to address community safety.
So-called 501 deportees are criminal New Zealand citizens deported from Australia.
They are named for the section of the Australian Immigration Act that allowed visas to be stripped from New Zealand residents who had disqualified themselves on character grounds.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick on 2020 and beyond
1 Jan, 2021 05:00 PM
5 minutes to read
Local Democracy Reporter Felix Desmarais sat down with Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick to reflect on 2020, and look ahead to 2021.
Chadwick says very much so .
Advertisement We were getting steady growth and the world was looking exactly as we predicted, really. It was on target.
She says Rotorua was doing remarkably well until the peculiarity of Covid-19 hit and the district s response to it showed her the community was resilient.
Part of the response was bolstered by networks and relationships with government agencies, Te Arawa and emergency response experience from the 2018 Ngongotahā floods, she says.
Rotorua s 2021 New Year wishes: Housing, a swift Covid-19 recovery and unicorns everywhere among top hopes
31 Dec, 2020 05:00 PM
6 minutes to read
From left, top: Steve Chadwick, Sandra Kai Fong, Todd McClay, Danielle Marks. From left, bottom: Kylie Overbye, Bryce Heard, Sir Toby Curtis, Tāmati Coffey.
Housing, a strong economic recovery and the disestablishment of Oranga Tamariki are among the wishes of Rotorua s leaders for 2021. Local Democracy reporter Felix Desmarais spoke to the district s leaders to find out their New Year wish list.
Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick
In 2021 I want to see a collaborative and collective emphasis on housing, community safety, community leadership and wellbeing – key topics elected members are discussing as we work towards the council s next long-term plan.