Seven Rotorua Emergency Housing motel consents granted with staggered end dates

The seven contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua that sought consent extensions until December 15, 2025. Photo / Kelly Makiha

• All seven of Rotorua’s emergency housing motels have received resource consent extensions despite local opposition.
• Independent Commissioner David Hill imposed staggered exit dates, with only three allowed to keep operating until December.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development aims to exit contracted motels sooner than required where possible.

All seven of Rotorua’s contracted emergency housing motels have been granted resource consent extensions, despite heavy opposition from locals.

One community advocate says while he would have liked them declined, he is happy with the staggered exit approach taken, with only three allowed to operate until December and no new referrals accepted after mid-June.

The decision was made by independent commissioner David Hill after hearing from submitters and consent applicant, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in November.

The ministry’s prior consent for 13 motels expired on December 15. It asked Rotorua Lakes Council for 12-month consent extensions for the seven motels still contracted for emergency housing to continue operating until as late as the end of 2025. It indicated it would gradually exit the contracts.

All but one of the 37 submitters opposed the new applications, reporting issues including public drug use and defecation linked to motel residents.

Hill indicated after the hearings his decision could be expected by the end of the year but the consent extensions and conditions were made publicly available on Wednesday.

His summary stated the decision considered actual and potential environmental effects, as well as statutory and plan provisions.

He found the adverse effects could not be determined “with any particularity”, though emergency housing impacts generally continued to be significant for the community.

Overall the applications were not contrary to District Plan provisions, and the conditions and durations imposed would “better ensure” the motels would return to hosting tourists.

The Government revealed at the end of last year two of the seven motels, Apollo Hotel and another then-unnamed, would be exited early this year.

Apollo Hotel on Tyron St will stop being used by Auckland Anniversary weekend and the second would close in March.

According to the consent decision, Rotorua Lakes Council’s consultant planner Craig Batchelar changed his recommendation for three consents after the hearing.

He wanted the Apollo Hotel application declined, and then modified this to give it a March 31 limit, and June 30 Alpin Motel and Pohutu Lodge.

Independent commissioner David Hill at the November hearing. Photo / Laura Smith

Hill’s decision said while the ministry was confident in its commitment to exit the motels, submitters expressed “significant doubt”.

He wrote the housing ministry (MHUD) expected the pipeline for new public and community housing and private rentals would provide enough capacity and range to remove the need for contracted motels.

“However, flexibility for individual case-management purposes was sought to ensure that an appropriate mix of places was available. That underlined MHUD’s request that all motels be granted for the full 12-month period even though its intention is to exit individual motels at the earliest practicable time within that period.”

Submitters generally rejected the 12-month term arguing they had already suffered the adverse effects of the policy for at least four years and another year, with no clear and confirmed government exit strategy, was an unfair burden on the community, Hill said.

“In the end, I find that the term sought for all seven motels is not justified.

“The exit strategy, in as much as now there is one, rests on assumptions regarding new builds and affordable rentals.“

Hill imposed different durations for the consents, with one consent ending in March, two in June, one in July and three in December.

Aside from Apollo Hotel, all must stop accepting referrals six months before their consent ends, meaning there would be no more new tenants referred to Rotorua from June 15.

Hill said Geneva Motor Lodge would exit after Pohutu and Alpin motels to provide relief to Glenholme residents at “the early practicable point, recognising that [the Glenholme] community has borne the brunt of much of the anti-social effects”. It was not about Geneva’s management, he said.

The commissioner noted “the sense of betrayal ” submitters felt from the extension applications.

Trevor Newbrook, spokesman for community group Restore Rotorua, which has lobbied against using motels for emergency housing, told Local Democracy Reporting he was personally pleased with the staggered approach - although would have preferred the consents all be declined.

He believed the commissioner had tried to be fair.

“I think it was disappointing MHUD didn’t get on with the job the first time.”

Newbrook said he was also disappointed with the amount of money Restore Rotorua, the council and the ministry had had to spend on the matter.

A ministry spokesperson said it received Hill’s decision today and, after a preliminary review, was confident it could manage its exit from the contracted emergency housing motels [CEH] in line with the consent periods and conditions.

It had already issued notice to the Apollo Hotel of a March 3 end date and all households staying there had been moved to “suitable alternative accommodation”.

“HUD remains committed to ending the use of CEH motels in Rotorua before the end of 2025 and will work to exit motels ahead of the consent periods wherever feasible.”

Contracted emergency housing prioritises families/whānau with children, young people, and people with disabilities. It also can include kuia, kaumātua, and elderly individuals. It includes wrap-around support.

Any appeal to the commissioner’s decision must be lodged with the Environment Court within 15 working days.

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 since 2019.

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