Rotorua Lakes Council new chief executive shares views on key challenges, priorities

About a month into the job, Rotorua council’s new boss has identified community safety as a key challenge.

Andrew Moraes joined Rotorua Lakes Council as chief executive on March 11, at a time when the district’s community’s appetite for improved safety is high.

A recent survey, conducted by the council in October and November last year, found 85 per cent of respondents were worried about community safety, wanted to know more and wanted the council to focus on it.

Moraes sat down with Local Democracy Reporting and shared what he had been up to - and what he has learned so far.

A chartered engineer with a Master of Business Administration, Moraes took up the role following Geoff Williams’ early resignation in September.

After Williams’ departure, Te Arawa partnership manahautū Gina Rangi was formally appointed interim chief executive while the council recruited.

It was announced in January Moraes would take over and move from his role as Taupō District Council operations and delivery general manager.

Moraes’ priorities have so far focused on getting to know the people he was working with, and for.

Council staff, elected members, community groups and representatives - Moraes wanted to “figure out the different relationships” the council had in the district.

Former Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams announced his resignation in September. Photo / Laura Smith

“It has been full-on, but I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Local Democracy Reporting asked what challenges lay ahead.

Moraes referred to a public survey completed late last year which elected members discussed the results of at a meeting at the end of March.

“Community safety features heavily.”

It found 76 per cent of the 1242 respondents said Rotorua was “a little” or “much worse than it used to be”, and 85 per cent wanted the council to focus on community safety.

“That’s something the council knows about and we are doing a whole lot of work in different work streams around improving community safety.

“That’s something that started before my time and it hasn’t been something that I’ve particularly been across the details since I started.”

Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Andrew Moraes started in March. Photo / Andrew Warner

It came months after the council set up an inner-city Community Safety Hub to improve crime prevention.

Plans for the hub were announced following two after-school attacks on teen girls near a CBD bus stop in August.

Another challenge was the district’s need for infrastructure investment. This was a key part of the essentials-only draft Long-Term Plan currently out for public consultation.

It proposed to invest $551 million into renewing and upgrading core infrastructure over the next decade.

Getting to know and hear from those in the organisation was his immediate approach.

After speaking with them and the community and draft Long-Term Plan feedback he will “shape” his mind on the next directions and goals.

Moraes, a chartered engineer and a graduate of the INSEAD Global Executive MBA Programme, believed his background was something elected members were looking for when they hired him.

“So I would understand and try and bring the engineering and the infrastructure background, but also the business case and the understanding of how money is better or best spent to these discussions.”

He said he applied for the role to have an impact on an “iconic location” and “really make a difference” to the people of Rotorua.

Moraes also felt councillors’ vision and mayor Tania Tapsell’s leadership was appealing.

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Laura Smith

Moraes said he enjoyed the passion, interest and engagement of staff and felt welcomed by the community.

“They’re very aspirational and people are often talking to me about their positive hopes and dreams they’ve got for Rotorua and how I can be part of that, which is tremendously exciting for me.”

He said feedback included wanting Rotorua to succeed as both a tourist and events destination.

People wanted to see open spaces enjoyed and accessible and the natural environment came through “quite strongly” in discussions Moraes had.

There was also a recognition of the economic diversity in the district, he said.

“So tourism definitely, but also talking about the opportunities for forestry and for other large industries and employers in the district.”

On meeting councillors, Moraes said he found them to care deeply.

“Now it’s a time for me to understand all the very different communities and perspectives they represent and try to understand what their aspirations are for this community.”

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for five years.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.