Kāinga Ora Saving Glenholme public meeting: Why mayor and deputy mayor didn’t attend

Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell (centre) with deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong on the right. Photo / Mead Norton

Rotorua’s deputy mayor has explained why she and the mayor did not attend a public meeting on Monday which traversed issues around social and emergency housing.

Some at the meeting had criticised the leaders’ non-attendance, with one man at the meeting saying Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell’s “signature” as mayor “was not even dry” and already she was putting in apologies for not being at important meetings.

The meeting, attended by about 400 people, was called by locals to express concerns to Kāinga Ora Bay of Plenty regional director Darren Toy about a planned housing development on a vacant section of land at 54 Devon St.

Rotorua Lakes Council’s district plan change 9, and Kāinga Ora’s submission on it to expand the area allowing medium-high density housing - up to six storeys - throughout most of Glenholme, was also discussed, along with ongoing emergency housing issues bordering the suburb.

On Tuesday, deputy mayor Sandra Kai Fong told Local Democracy Reporting she had not attended Monday night’s meeting as she had been in Auckland on personal business.

She said Tapsell had also been away - on leave.

“Unfortunately, we can’t be at everything,” she said.

She had understood the meeting was mostly about Kāinga Ora matters rather than council matters, she said, and submissions on the district plan change remained open until December 9.

Last Friday, the council revealed the district plan change independent hearings panel would accept further submissions on the plan change, up until midnight Friday, December 9, an extension of two weeks.

Kai Fong said the Rotorua housing accord was also before the council, with an announcement on the way.

Local Democracy Reporting understands that announcement may be delivered before the end of the year.

Councillor Sandra Kai-Fong. Photo / Andrew Warner

The accord, a proposed agreement between the council, Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue and the Government, was considered in a publicly-excluded part of the November 24 council meeting, and is expected to cover issues of the mixed-use of motels and or a sinking lid policy - where exits from are not replaced - on emergency housing in the city.

Kai Fong noted three councillors - Conan O’Brien, Robert Lee and Don Paterson - attended the meeting.

Tapsell has previously said she had made her calls for an end to the mixed use of motels, improved wraparound support, and a sinking lid policy clear to the Government, and Housing Minister Megan Woods has said she was “confident that we can substantially meet the mayor’s objectives around motel use”.

Local Democracy Reporting approached Tapsell for comment but she was unavailable.

Tapsell responds

Tapsell responded to Local Democracy Reporting’s query after the publication deadline.

She said it was well known she had been advocating against the negative impacts of emergency housing on the community.

“We had good representation at the meeting from elected council members and together we’ll continue being a strong voice for Rotorua.”

• Local Democracy Reporting is public interest journalism funded by NZ On Air.