Pop-up shop a chance to share ideas for city's future

Merenia Rogers, 11, has fun ideas for Rotorua. Photo / Stephen Parker

Young and old are letting Rotorua District Council know their thoughts at the Ideas Shop on Tutanekai St, organisers say.

The pop-up shop allows members of the community to submit their feedback and ideas on the council's policies and projects.

It will be running until January 10 and will announce a weekly winner in its prize draw.

Merenia Rogers, who recently turned 11, has lots of ideas for the betterment of Rotorua.

She won a prize yesterday for her idea to have a hydroslide into Tikitapu (Blue Lake).

"A hydroslide will be really cool in the summertime," she said.

Merenia submitted her hydroslide idea more than a week ago, but had a new idea to write down when she visited the Ideas Shop to pick up her prize pack yesterday.

"My idea is to have a roof on top of the parks so we can play on the playground while it's raining," she said.

Her mother Hayley Rogers said Merenia was really excited about being able to tell the council her ideas for the city.

Ideas Shop manager Sharon Vigor-Brown said she had seen all sorts of ideas for the city, from people of all walks of life.

"So many people are coming in, from all types of socio-economic backgrounds and ages, it's fantastic, with ideas on everything from recycling in the city and what can we do to connect the city, using Tutanekai St as the spine of the city, and issues like getting a bus to the hospital. Parking is a nightmare up there if you have a car, and no buses go to the hospital," she said.

All the ideas would be reviewed by the council's strategy teams, she said.

The Ideas Shop is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm (until 7pm on Thursdays) and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.