Latest news with #TaraweraSewerageScheme
NZ Herald
7 days ago
- Business
- NZ Herald
Rotorua council cuts Tarawera ratepayers' sewerage scheme costs, but not by much
The price Lake Tarawera homeowners will pay for reticulated sewerage has been reduced - but it's not the significant cut many hoped for. The most recent estimate had Tarawera households collectively paying about $20 million of the $32.3m cost for the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme. That was equivalent to a lump
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Regional Ratepayers To Fund $3.58m Loan For Tarawera Sewerage Scheme
Wednesday, 28 May 2025, 8:05 pm Article: Laura Smith - Local Democracy Reporter Bay of Plenty regional ratepayers are set to fund a $3.58 million loan towards Rotorua's controversial Tarawera Sewerage Scheme. The decision comes as Rotorua Lakes Council prepares to deliberate today on how to split costs of the $32.3m scheme between general Rotorua ratepayers, Tarawera property owners and other funders. Tarawera households currently face a lump sum cost of $50,315 each to connect to the reticulation scheme, which replaces septic tanks. The cost would rise to $55,601 for those who do not agree to on-site work on their properties by June 1. Bay of Plenty regional ratepayers are set to fund a $3.58 million loan towards Rotorua's controversial Tarawera Sewerage Scheme. The decision comes as Rotorua Lakes Council prepares to deliberate today on how to split costs of the $32.3m scheme between general Rotorua ratepayers, Tarawera property owners and other funders. Tarawera households currently face a lump sum cost of $50,315 each to connect to the reticulation scheme, which replaces septic tanks. The cost would rise to $55,601 for those who do not agree to on-site work on their properties by June 1. A report in the meeting's agenda said the loan would not necessarily reduce Lake Tarawera residents' lump sum contribution, but could 'give RLC an opportunity to reduce its interest costs and the targeted rate payable'. Making the loan interest-free would result in BOPRC forgoing about $150,000 per annum, or about $1.30 per ratepayer. Regional councillor Kevin Winters said the decision showed the council was helping Tarawera residents, while also signalling it wanted them to sign off work on their properties so stage two of the scheme could be implemented 'en masse'. He acknowledged it was not a grant as had been requested by RLC. BOPRC's chief executive could potentially further negotiate conditions, such as capping Tarawera households' costs. Councillor Jane Nees supported this cap being the $36,600 some Tarawera residents sought. Councillor Lyall Thurston said BOPRC wanted to see 'some finality to this ongoing saga at Tarawera', and hoped the decision would be well received by RLC. He said he understood some colleagues held concerns and apprehensions. Councillor Ken Shirley said spreading the cost among regional ratepayers was a 'slippery slope' in what other councils might expect in future, but he believed schemes should be considered on their own merits. The regional council also voted to have an independent review of the scheme funding and project management completed by the councils prior to loan drawdown. It came after Tarawera resident Tracey McLeod raised potential issues with the stated costs and funding of this and other sewerage schemes. She presented at a prior regional council meeting and emailed both councils the results of her investigation on Friday. Thurston said in Monday's meeting that McLeod had gone to 'great lengths to emphasise that costs have been overstated in the scheme' and there were calls for an inquiry and audit. He believed there could be pushback from both councils on that, but believed some of the 'figures bandied around need to be analysed very closely'. 'I'm starting to get totally confused with the size and the quantum of the figures that members of the community say are grossly inflated, overstated and quite frankly, I want to know what the real story is.' He said the figures in question had been circulating in the public domain for a long time and needed to be challenged, acknowledged and this issue 'put to rest once and for all'. BOPRC chairman Doug Leeder agreed some 'forensic analysis' was needed to either validate or reject what was claimed. RLC infrastructure and assets group manager Stavros Michael told Local Democracy Reporting the council was aware BOPRC was working on a response to McLeod's claims about the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes programmes deed funding, which BOPRC administered. He said the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme is not part of those programmes and had its own funding plan. RLC would be considering the scheme's costs and funding as part of the 2025/26 Annual Plan. RLC councillors will meet today to begin Annual Plan deliberations. Funding options for Tarawera the council consulted the community about included retaining the status quo, or reducing Tarawera households' contribution by $1m or $4m and splitting it among general Rotorua ratepayers instead. Of 344 public submissions on the matter, 232 wanted the $4m taken off Tarawera households. © Scoop Media
NZ Herald
27-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
$3.58m Tarawera Sewerage Scheme loan gains regional council approval
Bay of Plenty regional ratepayers are set to fund a $3.58 million loan towards Rotorua's controversial Tarawera Sewerage Scheme. The decision comes as Rotorua Lakes Council prepares to deliberate today on how to split costs of the $32.3m scheme between general Rotorua ratepayers, Tarawera property owners and other funders. Tarawera
Scoop
20-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Rotorua Annual Plan Hearings: Locals Share Needs And Desires For City
Rotorua councillors are considering hours of feedback and hundreds of submissions on its draft annual plan. A range of opinions were shared at the council's draft Annual Plan 2025/2026 hearings last week. Some related to the Tarawera sewerage scheme, others the city's night market. Other submissions asked for funding increases with one trust detailing its success story. During the hearings Rotorua Trails Trustee Clair Scott outlined a 'good news story'. The trust submitted that while the council investment of $217,000 a year was 'instrumental', it urged a 'significant increase in funding' in this annual plan to continue trail network maintenance and development. It said this was vital to sustaining and enhancing the millions of dollars of economic contributions from mountain biking and trail running. Scott said investment 'paid off in a big way' with 300km of trails being one of the city's most valuable recreational and economic assets. It supported major events, helped grow local mountain biking talent, brought in visitors, and boosted health and wellbeing while telling a 'broader story of what makes Rotorua special'. The council funding covered about 25% of its operational costs. Scott said the team was stretched as donations and grants became harder to secure; it faced a $140,000 funding shortfall this year. She said she wasn't there because something was broken, but because it was thriving. The trust wanted the council to partner in developing a sustainable long-term funding model. 'This is a good news story. A Rotorua success we should all be proud of. 'To keep it going we need to start treating these trails as the essential infrastructure they have become.' Councillor Robert Lee asked whether a user charge could be applied to the trails, to which Scott said no as it was iwi-owned land with a Crown agreement to allow public access until 2042. Many submissions related to whether the $32.3 million Tarawera Sewerage Scheme should have wider ratepayer funding, including input from community figures and residents arguing whether the scheme was justified and fair and that the cost burden on them was too high. Lake Ōkāreka Community Association chairman Mitch Collins said the council failed in its planning. He referred to district plan rules relating to recent court action debate on what was permitted earthworks activity. Collins understood the plan required review every five years for efficiency and effectiveness but he said aspects of it had not been reviewed for two decades. Cost added could have been avoided with better planning, he said. Collins said the board acknowledged the need for the scheme to protect lakes, but it was concerned about the cost increases. It supported a further $4m of funding via the wider ratepayer base. His community's scheme cost about $20,000 per household 'in today's terms'. The Tarawera scheme as it is funded now would cost about $50,300. Ōkāreka residents had seen lake health improvement since their scheme was completed in 2011, he said. Former Rotorua mayor and current Bay of Plenty regional councillor Kevin Winters said the council supported the additional $4m for the Tarawera scheme and remained committed to its own $750,000 grant. An extraordinary meeting is scheduled for May 26 to discuss a district council request for further funding. Other submitters wanted the scheme to be user-pays with no further funding, while others thought the extra $1m was fair. Other annual plan submissions included suggestions on how the Rotorua Night Market should be delivered. For the past year Farnoud Rahimi Mansour had run a stall at the market. Previously a structural engineer on a sponsored working visa, he said he became an Uber driver when the Government project he was working on was cut. 'Many people lost their jobs.' The 13 hours driving a day only covered his rent, he said. 'My life depends on the market. That is why I am here.' He told councillors he was concerned he would end up homeless if there were changes to the night market. He believed the stallholder fee of $172 each 'easily' covered the $200,000 it cost for the council to run the markets. Mansour's view was that fee would go up if the market were run by someone else. He asked the council to consider investing in the market. Options were to scale it back to half a year, change the location, or have someone else run it with council sponsorship. Other submitters supported half-yearly as being practical while some supported it being managed by someone else. Rotorua Lakes Council proposed a 7.95% general average rates rise for the year, down from the projected 9.8%. It had a capital works programme of $145m, $41.25m funded by debt. Councillors will deliberate on May 28 and will adopt the plan on June 25. - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
19-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
Rotorua annual plan hearings: Locals share needs and desires for city
The trust submitted that while the council investment of $217,000 a year was 'instrumental', it urged a 'significant increase in funding' in this annual plan to continue trail network maintenance and development. It said this was vital to sustaining and enhancing the millions of dollars of economic contributions from mountain biking and trail running. Scott said investment 'paid off in a big way' with 300km of trails being one of the city's most valuable recreational and economic assets. It supported major events, helped grow local mountain biking talent, brought in visitors, and boosted health and wellbeing while telling a 'broader story of what makes Rotorua special'. The council funding covered about 25% of its operational costs. Scott said the team was stretched as donations and grants became harder to secure; it faced a $140,000 funding shortfall this year. She said she wasn't there because something was broken, but because it was thriving. The trust wanted the council to partner in developing a sustainable long-term funding model. 'This is a good news story. A Rotorua success we should all be proud of. 'To keep it going we need to start treating these trails as the essential infrastructure they have become.' Councillor Robert Lee asked whether a user charge could be applied to the trails, to which Scott said no as it was iwi-owned land with a Crown agreement to allow public access until 2042. Many submissions related to whether the $32.3 million Tarawera Sewerage Scheme should have wider ratepayer funding, including input from community figures and residents arguing whether the scheme was justified and fair and that the cost burden on them was too high. Lake Ōkāreka Community Association chairman Mitch Collins said the council failed in its planning. He referred to district plan rules relating to recent court action debate on what was permitted earthworks activity. Collins understood the plan required review every five years for efficiency and effectiveness but he said aspects of it had not been reviewed for two decades. Cost added could have been avoided with better planning, he said. Collins said the board acknowledged the need for the scheme to protect lakes, but it was concerned about the cost increases. It supported a further $4m of funding via the wider ratepayer base. His community's scheme cost about $20,000 per household 'in today's terms'. The Tarawera scheme as it is funded now would cost about $50,300. Ōkāreka residents had seen lake health improvement since their scheme was completed in 2011, he said. Former Rotorua mayor and current Bay of Plenty regional councillor Kevin Winters said the council supported the additional $4m for the Tarawera scheme and remained committed to its own $750,000 grant. An extraordinary meeting is scheduled for May 26 to discuss a district council request for further funding. Other submitters wanted the scheme to be user-pays with no further funding, while others thought the extra $1m was fair. Other annual plan submissions included suggestions on how the Rotorua Night Market should be delivered. For the past year Farnoud Rahimi Mansour had run a stall at the market. Previously a structural engineer on a sponsored working visa, he said he became an Uber driver when the Government project he was working on was cut. 'Many people lost their jobs.' The 13 hours driving a day only covered his rent, he said. 'My life depends on the market. That is why I am here.' He told councillors he was concerned he would end up homeless if there were changes to the night market. He believed the stallholder fee of $172 each 'easily' covered the $200,000 it cost for the council to run the markets. Mansour's view was that fee would go up if the market were run by someone else. He asked the council to consider investing in the market. Options were to scale it back to half a year, change the location, or have someone else run it with council sponsorship. Other submitters supported half-yearly as being practical while some supported it being managed by someone else. Rotorua Lakes Council proposed a 7.95% general average rates rise for the year, down from the projected 9.8%. It had a capital works programme of $145m, $41.25m funded by debt. Councillors will deliberate on May 28 and will adopt the plan on June 25.
