Rotorua Business Awards: Nominations now open for 2021
4 May, 2021 10:25 PM
3 minutes to read
Nominations are now open for this year s Rotorua business awards, which has a new name and sponsor. More than 100 Rotorua businessmen and women attended the launch of the 2021 Tompkins Wake Rotorua Business Awards at the Pullman Rotorua last night.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bryce Heard said the awards hit the sweet spot with Rotorua s business community. It s exciting.
Rotorua Chamber of Commerce chief executive. Photo / Andrew Warner
Heard said it was exciting to have Tompkins Wake come on board as the main sponsor after Westpac s 16-year history of supporting the awards.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay urges council to tell Rotorua moteliers no more emergency housing
5 May, 2021 06:00 PM
5 minutes to read
Rotorua MP Todd McClay. Photo / File
Rotorua MP Todd McClay is demanding the council put a sinking lid on the number of people living in emergency accommodation in the city s motel. The call comes after it was revealed emergency housing stays in motels longer than 28 days breached the Rotorua Lakes Council s district plan.
McClay said the council should not be seen to be allowing the breaches to continue and should be urgently contacting all moteliers to say no more emergency housing guests .
Rotorua councillor Reynold Macpherson facing three new code of conduct complaints
30 Apr, 2021 06:41 AM
8 minutes to read
Rotorua Lakes councillor Reynold Macpherson. Photo / Andrew Warner
Controversial Rotorua councillor Reynold Macpherson is facing three new code of conduct complaints, including one from the council chief executive.
The new complaints relate to three of his social media posts on the Rotorua Residents and Ratepayers Facebook page.
The first was about a wastewater leak near Ngongotahā on March 2 - the same post mayor Steve Chadwick demanded Macpherson apologise for at a March 4 council committee meeting.
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Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams wrote to mayor Steve Chadwick on March 5 saying the post contained serious accusations .
Lawyer says Rotorua s emergency housing breaches council s district plan
29 Apr, 2021 06:00 PM
7 minutes to read
Rotorua barrister Kevin Badcock. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Putting people in emergency housing for longer than 28 days in some Rotorua motels is breaching the city s district plan, a Rotorua barrister says. Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the lawyer s legal opinion showed the Government was trying to sweep Rotorua s homeless problem under the rug.
Rotorua Lakes Council admitted it was aware of the problem - pointing out it was not just an issue for Rotorua - but said it would not change the district plan. The council said it was working with Government agencies and ministers on a solution.
Tarawera resident Fred Stevens said residents wanted a bit of fairness
Photo: LDR/ Felix Desmarais
The council says it needs sign-off from residents first to proceed to detailed design work which would provide more certainty around cost.
About 80 people packed Lake Tarawera community hall on Wednesday last week to discuss concerns about the payment plan laid out by Rotorua Lakes Council for the scheme.
The scheme would involve the installation of low-pressure grinder pumps on each property, and the connection of Tarawera to the Ōkāreka wastewater pump and to the Rotorua Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Septic tanks were not considered sustainable for the lake s future.