Rotorua Mayor Steve Chadwick wants more urgent progress on getting people out of emergency accommodation and into homes in the district.

“We have a housing plan, we are aligned with the Government on what needs to happen and are working in partnership with its agencies, iwi and other relevant stakeholders. What we need to see now is some real impetus on building and moving people out of emergency accommodation and into homes,” the mayor says.

The Government this week released its Public Housing Plan 2021-2024, which outlines localities for 8000 additional public and transitional housing places announced in Budget 2020. The Government also re-stated its commitment to supporting the Te Arawa and Rotorua Lakes Council Housing and Thriving Communities Strategy.

“Housing remains a key priority for our community,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“It’s great to see Government re-stating its commitment to helping Rotorua address its housing challenges. I now want to see more impetus on producing homes and will continue to advocate and lobby at every opportunity for that to happen with urgency.”

The Government intends to increase public and transitional housing in the Bay of Plenty, including Rotorua, from the current 2860 places to 3989 by 2024.

The Public Housing Plan cites Bay of Plenty as a priority area with a high proportion of Māori in housing need. It states supply in the region is targeted towards Rotorua and Tauranga where housing deprivation is highest.

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“Exactly how much of what’s planned for the Bay of Plenty will be in Rotorua is yet to be confirmed, but the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development is working with Te Arawa and Council to confirm the programme of works that will underpin our housing strategy,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“It’s going to take strong community leadership to ensure we start seeing some action and we’re up for it.

“We’re working hard on many fronts, alongside partners, to address our local housing shortage and to ensure that rather than just building houses, we are building connected, supported, resilient communities.”

Current Rotorua Lakes Council work that relates to housing and is underway:

• Housing and Thriving Communities Strategic Framework, developed in partnership with Te Arawa and Central Government agencies (see more below);
• Investment in infrastructure (wastewater, roads, stormwater) to support future and existing housing, and long-term infrastructure planning are underway.
• Council and NZTA received $55m in Crown Infrastructure Partners (CIP) funding for roading and stormwater upgrades to support proposed housing at Wharenui;
• Council is progressing a District Plan Change to facilitate housing at Pukehangi
• Council is collaborating with Tatau Pounamu Collective on an eastside locality plan that will address future needs and aspirations of communities there (more HERE);
• Draft Climate Action Plan developed and being finalised for adoption by Council. The plan includes infrastructure resilience planning/actions (see more HERE);
• Healthy Homes initiative ongoing (see more HERE).

Homes and Thriving Communities Strategic Framework (He Papakāinga, He Hāpori Taurikura Te Poupou Ruataki)

• Developed in partnership with Te Arawa and Central Government agencies following consultation with community stakeholders in 2019.
• Adopted by Council Sept 2020 following consultation on draft.
• 11 workstreams: community safety; emergency, transitional and social housing; rural and urban papakāinga; thriving communities and locality planning; healthy homes; enabling affordability; infrastructure; creating employment and career pathways.
• Framework outlines each workstream, including actions and lead agencies for each.
• View the strategic framework at THIS LINK on Council's website.

Government’s Public Housing Plan

• See Government announcement of its Public Housing Plan HERE
• See the Government’s Public Housing Plan HERE
• See Fact Sheets for priority areas, including Rotorua HERE

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