Rotorua Priorities – Lakes, Air, Passenger Transport

Restoring Rotorua lakes, improving air quality and better public transport have been confirmed as priorities in Environment Bay of Plenty’s Ten Year Plan after the completion of the public submission and hearings process.

Ratepayers made 199 submissions on the draft plan and sent in 465 completed survey forms that were distributed to households through the council’s bi-monthly “Backyard” newsletter.

After consideration of public feedback, the new targeted rate for farmers holding dairy water discharge permits will be set at zero for the first year, 2009/10.

Council decided to set this rate at zero on the understanding that Rotorua’s dairy farmers will collectively take responsibility for significantly reducing their nutrient footprint in the immediate future.

In the meantime the regional council will continue its work to find a fair and equitable mechanism for targeted rates in this area and has decided to undertake a rating review

“We have listened to the sector and have given them more time to find a solution that will reduce their impact on water quality in the lakes,” Environment Bay of Plenty Chairman John Cronin said.

“This has not been done lightly and I strongly urge dairy farmers to make progress on this issue. The lakes clean-up programme has been identified as a national priority and residential ratepayers are already paying their share.”

The lakes restoration programme is funded through a central government contribution of $144.4 million that covers four priority lakes - Rotorua, Rotoiti, Rotoehu and Okareka. Environment Bay of Plenty and Rotorua District Council have a significant contribution to this programme – the regional council’s contribution is $39.8 million.

The Ten Year Plan will also see continuation of passenger transport in Rotorua with increasing numbers of low-floor accessible buses. While Rotorua District Council had funded 10 percent of services, from 2009/10 the regional council would pick up this cost.

For operating expenditure in this area for the Rotorua District, Environment Bay of Plenty is proposing to spend $7.39 million during the next three years and for rural services, which includes the Rotorua to Tauranga service, another $2.78 million during the next three years.
The targeted passenger transport rate for Rotorua ratepayers will be $40.68 in 2009/10, increasing to $47.52 in 2010/11 and $49.35 in 2011/12.

Rotorua’s air quality is among the worst in New Zealand and is the worst in the North Island. A major contributor is domestic woodfire burners and backyard burning. The regional council is introducing a new targeted rate to address this problem.

Work under this programme will working closely with Central Government to bring national funding and initiatives into the region. It will also include monitoring of industrial emissions in Rotorua and working with Rotorua District Council to improve air quality.

For operating expenditure in this area, Council will spend about $729,000 in Year One; $1.05 million in Year Two; and $1.27 million in Year Three.

The Ten Year Plan 2009 – 2019 was adopted at the regional council’s meeting today.

ENDS

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