The seven contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua seeking resource consent extensions until December 15, 2025. Photo / Kelly Makiha
The seven contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua seeking resource consent extensions until December 15, 2025. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Rotorua residents are not “suddenly okay” with continued government contracting of motels for emergency housing, despite a large drop in public feedback, a group spokeswoman says.
Carolyne Hall from lobby group Restore Rotorua said people were “worn out” and “didn’t trust the process”.
“They[residents] said ‘no’ last time loud and clear in thousands of submissions and the commissioners still went ahead and granted it.”
Rotorua Lakes Council confirmed 174 submissions had been received from 35 individuals or groups on whether they want contracted emergency housing to continue in seven motels until December 2025.
When the Government applied for resource consent in 2022 for 13 motels, 3841 submissions from 350 submitters were received – a majority opposed the applications.
Council district development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston said it was still analysing the submissions and could not say how many supported or opposed the application.
Itintended to stop referring people to contracted emergency housing from July 1 next year as it wound down to ending the use of motels for emergency housing by the end of that year. It also intended to reduce the seven motels to four by the middle of next year.
Carolyne Hall addresses commissioners at the 2022 hearings. Photo / Mead Norton
Hall told the Rotorua Daily Post residents poured their hearts and souls into the last resource consent process and, while it was great there were still some submissions lodged, many residents were simply fatigued.
“We’re not suddenly okay with it. We are tired.”
In her opinion, much of the progress made since emergency housing issues were at their worst in 2021 and 2022 was thanks to the community speaking out, not politicians or social service groups. She did not think locals had been given enough credit for what they had done to stand up for their city.
Hall said the applications for a 12-month extension had come at a personal cost because the sale of her home, which was near a contracted emergency housing motel, fell through just weeks ago after the buyer became aware of the resource consent applications.
She said she and her husband had accepted an offer and it was meant to go unconditional but the buyers pulled out after discovering the application for resource consent on their Lim report.
Hall said she tried to tell the potential buyer the consent applications were only for another year, but they were still too put-off.
Rotorua District Residents and Ratepayers said in its submission it believed the contracted emergency housing model had failed Rotorua. Among the points in the submission, signed by chairman Reynold Macpherson, was that the strategy had “significant negative impacts” on the community and inadequate support for the homeless population.
The submission claimed the strategy had exacerbated social issues in Rotorua and extending it would prolong and potentially worsen problems.
“It is imperative to address the failed “place-based” experimental strategy and its adverse effects on Rotorua’s residents, community, and environment.”
Rotorua Residents and Ratepayers' Association chairman Reynold Macpherson speaking at the 2022 hearings. Photo / Andrew Warner
Macpherson told the Daily Post last time most of those submitting expressed opposition to the consents being granted.
“It was therefore a shock to residents and ratepayers in mid-December 2022 that the commissioners granted the Hud [Ministry of Housing and Urban Development] resource consents to operate emergency accommodation in all 13 motels.”
He said his group believed the community had been taken “for fools” and this harmed the “legitimacy of local and central Government”.
“We want our city back.”
Gaston declined to comment on Hall and Macpherson’s statements, saying both were submitters and it was not appropriate to comment on any submissions during the statutory process.
Facts about the process
The 2022 Ministry of Housing and Urban Development applications were considered by a panel of three independent commissioners, chaired by David Hill. Hill will decide the latest applications on his own.
The council said in a statement in July the appointment of Hill provided some continuity to the process.
As part of the applications being publicly notified, they were advertised in the Daily Post on July 20 and more than 400 letters were sent to residents around the seven motels.
The submission period lasted four weeks. A public hearing will be held between November 4 and 15.
The resource consent applications are for seven motels for up to 549 people staying in 186 units:
Alpin Motel, 140 occupants in 40 units
Apollo Hotel, 98 occupants in 39 units
Ascot on Fenton, 43 occupants in 14 units
Geneva Motel, 41 occupants in 14 units
Lake Rotorua Motel, 105 occupants in 38 units
Pohutu Motor Lodge, 42 occupants in 14 units, and
RotoVegas Motel, 80 occupants in 27 units.
Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
