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RNZ News
a day ago
- Health
- RNZ News
'Unsafe levels': Toxic gas concern closes events centre office
The office at Rotorua's Energy Events Centre is being monitored daily and the council's property team is checking gas levels on a 'regular basis'. Photo: Andrew Warner An office within Rotorua's Energy Events Centre has closed after "unsafe levels" of a toxic gas were detected. An agenda item for last week's Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure and environment committee meeting detailed how levels of hydrogen sulphide "rose significantly" in the sales and finance office recently. The area was closed due to "unsafe levels", and an investigation was to begin to identify and provide longer-term remediation. The council provided more details after questions from Local Democracy Reporting. "A staff member detected and reported an unusual odour in an office and promptly reported it." A facilities manager then used a calibrated gas monitor to investigate and found an initial hydrogen sulphide reading of 30.6 parts per million (ppm) near the staff member's desk. "Subsequent tests showed levels fluctuating between 0-5 ppm, well below the serious harm threshold of 250-500 ppm," a spokesperson said. The incident did not meet the criteria for reporting it to WorkSafe, as it was addressed promptly upon reporting by staff. "Recent tests have shown safe levels and, as a precaution, the office will remain closed until [the] potential cause has been identified." The building was monitored daily and the council's property team monitored gas on a "regular basis". Investigations were continuing to identify the possible source of the initial elevated reading. WorkSafe's website describes hydrogen sulphide as a highly toxic, colourless gas that occurs in a variety of natural and industrial settings, including geothermal ones. The events centre is based at Sulphur Point, a geothermal hotspot. Impacts of exposure vary according to concentration. At low levels, hydrogen sulphide can irritate the eyes, nose and throat. Exposure to high levels may cause shortness of breath, lung damage or cardiac arrest. At less than 1ppm, most people smell something similar to rotten eggs. Between 20 and 150ppm, the nose and throat may feel dry and irritated. Eyes sting, itch or water, and "gas eye" symptoms (similar to mild conjunctivitis) may occur. Prolonged exposure may cause coughing, hoarseness, shortness of breath and a runny nose. Levels above 100ppm are "immediately dangerous to life and health". Levels above 500ppm cause immediate loss of consciousness. "Death is rapid, sometimes immediate." WorkSafe confirmed it had not been notified. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- NZ Herald
Serious crash near Rotorua
Rotorua's Reg Stag speeds to victory at 2025 Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix. Video / Red Bull Smoke from the Rotorua Recycling Centre fire blanketed the surrounding area. Video / Supplied Amelia Branson is going to America for surgery and radiation for her brain tumour, which costs about $550,000. Video / Megan Wilson Thousands attend official Waitangi Day event in Rotorua. Video / Kelly Makiha Locals feared they looked like container homes when they first arrived, but today they had a chance to look through the finished product. Video / Kelly Makiha Security footage of a ram raid at Westbrook Liquor Centre in Rotorua. Video / Supplied Vaishali McNeill, 15, died in a 2023 head-on crash with a truck. Parents Sarb Mann and David McNeill want harsher penalties for impaired drivers. Video / Andrew Warner, Supplied Twelve fire crews joined the battle to contain a scrub fire in the Tahorakuri Forest area between Rotorua and Taupō on Wednesday. Video / Supplied Rotorua Māori ward councillor Rawiri Waru at the final meeting for the year. Video / Laura Smith Salvation Army's choice model supermarket empowers those in need. Video / Andrew Warner The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM presenter Paul Hickey announces the final tally for Fill the Bus 2024. The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM's Fill the Bus fundraiser is part of the six-week annual Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal for the foodbank. Video of the fire showed large flames and black smoke coming from an address on Ngongotahā Rd at the time. Video / Out There Industries Thousands of protesters marching up Fenton St in Rotorua Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters in Rotorua.
RNZ News
04-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
How Rotorua is bucking the national trend for new home builds
Rotorua has seen the third year in a row for record new homes constructed. Photo: LDR /Andrew Warner Rotorua has hit its highest number of new build homes in 14 years, bucking the national trend. It comes as a new assessment finds the city has more than enough future housing capacity, a turnaround from shortage projections. More than 500 homes were built in the city last year, about half of them social housing or affordable rentals. Rotorua Lakes Council destination development group manager Jean-Paul Gaston told an April meeting many of the 522 houses were built in the central and western areas. Net new homes reached 483 after accounting for homes removed to make way for developments. It was the third year in a row that new home numbers peaked since 2011, and another 600 homes were in the pipeline for the next couple of years. Data provided to Local Democracy Reporting showed 304 of the new houses were built in Rotorua's western and central areas: The council had a goal of building 3000 new homes in those areas by 2032. After the meeting, Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said improving housing options for the city remained a top priority for the council as it would have "huge benefits for our community". "These housing developments are not just public homes, but all types of homes, including affordable rentals and retirement options for our older residents. "I know the economy has been uncertain but despite slower markets elsewhere, we've got a strong number of building consents coming through in Rotorua." Twenty new two and three-bedroom Kāinga Ora apartments are on Lake Rd. Photo: LDR / supplied Tapsell said the council would continue to work to unlock land and opportunities for new homes. In February, Local Democracy Reporting wrote that $259 million worth of new residential and commercial buildings were consented in Rotorua in the year to September - more than double the $112.2m of consents issued in 2023. According to Stats NZ, new dwelling consents nationwide in 2024 were down 9.8 percent on 2023. Gaston wrote in the meeting's agenda the city avoided the national decline in building numbers because of multi-year investment by Kāinga Ora and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, support for Māori affordable rental development, and significant staged developments such as Freedom Village. The recent fast-track consenting of a new Summerset lifestyle village in Fairy Springs provided additional future certainty of 260 housing units within the short/medium-term, Gaston wrote. Other projects included the first 16 homes in the Ōwhata Kōhanga Rākau iwi-led housing development on the east side of Rotorua, which opened in November and will eventually have 93 homes including 38 affordable rentals and kaumātua housing. A council spokesperson said it knew of 262 among last year's 522 new builds that were social housing or affordable rentals. Among these were 17 two-bedroom and three three-bedroom homes on Lake Rd. This Kāinga Ora development opened in May. A Te Tūāpapa Kura Kāinga - Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) spokesman said 101 homes were built as part of MHUD housing programmes, including 80 iwi-led Māori affordable rentals. Kāinga Ora added 104 new social housing places to its stock in Rotorua. The spokesman said Rotorua's housing shortage resulted from a rapid increase in the resident population from 2013 and too few houses being built to meet the demand. The rental market tightened and rents rose relative to incomes, leading to more households on the Housing Register and large numbers in temporary or emergency accommodation. This peaked at 699 households in December 2021. The ministry partnered with others including iwi and the council to make a plan for Rotorua including short-term and more permanent housing solutions. The number of households in temporary and emergency housing had dropped to 96 as of March. "This is a result of the government's significant investment in Rotorua." The city remained a priority for the Ministry with a "strong pipeline" of additional housing places to be delivered - 170 state homes by mid-2025 and another 72 by July 2026. The government was criticised for using Rotorua's motels as a "dumping ground" for the country's homeless during peak pandemic years, but consistently denied actively bringing in out-of-towners. The last Housing and Business Development Capacity Assessment in 2021 projected the city was heading for a 10,000-home shortage in the long-term, by 2050. An updated assessment from 2024 presented to a council meeting on Wednesday found an overall surplus of 300 - 1600 dwellings short-term, 2200 - 5200 medium-term, and 10,100 - 24,700 long-term. This turnaround was broadly credited to work identifying and preparing new greenfield (undeveloped) land for housing, and enabling intensification. "This puts the district in a good position to respond to what the community needs as it grows and to make adjustments if needed," Gaston said in a statement. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
02-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Rotorua Mini Marathon
Smoke from the Rotorua Recycling Centre fire blanketed the surrounding area. Video / Supplied Amelia Branson is going to America for surgery and radiation for her brain tumour, which costs about $550,000. Video / Megan Wilson Thousands attend official Waitangi Day event in Rotorua. Video / Kelly Makiha Locals feared they looked like container homes when they first arrived, but today they had a chance to look through the finished product. Video / Kelly Makiha Security footage of a ram raid at Westbrook Liquor Centre in Rotorua. Video / Supplied Vaishali McNeill, 15, died in a 2023 head-on crash with a truck. Parents Sarb Mann and David McNeill want harsher penalties for impaired drivers. Video / Andrew Warner, Supplied Twelve fire crews joined the battle to contain a scrub fire in the Tahorakuri Forest area between Rotorua and Taupō on Wednesday. Video / Supplied Rotorua Māori ward councillor Rawiri Waru at the final meeting for the year. Video / Laura Smith Salvation Army's choice model supermarket empowers those in need. Video / Andrew Warner The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM presenter Paul Hickey announces the final tally for Fill the Bus 2024. The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM's Fill the Bus fundraiser is part of the six-week annual Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal for the foodbank. Video of the fire showed large flames and black smoke coming from an address on Ngongotahā Rd at the time. Video / Out There Industries Thousands of protesters marching up Fenton St in Rotorua Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters in Rotorua. Rotorua Daily Post has launched its annual Christmas Appeal supporting the Salvation Army foodbank. Video / Andrew Warner
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
Slashed tyres: Young girls seen on CCTV
Thousands attend official Waitangi Day event in Rotorua. Video / Kelly Makiha Locals feared they looked like container homes when they first arrived, but today they had a chance to look through the finished product. Video / Kelly Makiha Security footage of a ram raid at Westbrook Liquor Centre in Rotorua. Video / Supplied Vaishali McNeill, 15, died in a 2023 head-on crash with a truck. Parents Sarb Mann and David McNeill want harsher penalties for impaired drivers. Video / Andrew Warner, Supplied Twelve fire crews joined the battle to contain a scrub fire in the Tahorakuri Forest area between Rotorua and Taupō on Wednesday. Video / Supplied Rotorua Māori ward councillor Rawiri Waru at the final meeting for the year. Video / Laura Smith Salvation Army's choice model supermarket empowers those in need. Video / Andrew Warner The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM presenter Paul Hickey announces the final tally for Fill the Bus 2024. The Hits Rotorua 97.5FM's Fill the Bus fundraiser is part of the six-week annual Rotorua Daily Post Christmas Appeal for the foodbank. Video of the fire showed large flames and black smoke coming from an address on Ngongotahā Rd at the time. Video / Out There Industries Thousands of protesters marching up Fenton St in Rotorua Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protesters in Rotorua. Rotorua Daily Post has launched its annual Christmas Appeal supporting the Salvation Army foodbank. Video / Andrew Warner Ngāti Whakaue has created its own subdivision for its people in a sought-after location on iwi land following a multimillion-dollar partnership with the Government. The crowd gears up for the annual Pink Walk in Rotorua. Video / Ed Young
