Proposed Te Arawa partnership model attracts nearly 1900 submissions

A total 1899 submissions have been received by Rotorua Lakes Council on a proposed new Te Arawa partnership model.

It is the most submissions Council has received for a single issue.

Last December Council considered a model proposed by Te Arawa to provide iwi input into council decision-making, along with three alternative models. Council voted 10-3 to support Te Arawa’s proposed model in principle, subject to a special consultative procedure, to allow the community to provide feedback.

Of the submissions received over the past six weeks, 736 were received online. Four petitions were also received, one against the proposal with 1370 signatures; one with 250 signatures asking for Council to consider a proposed “Democratic Governance Model” which was submitted; and two in support of the proposal with 33 and 27 signatures respectively.

“We’re very pleased to have had such excellent engagement after Te Arawa’s request that Council put their proposal out to public consultation to seek the community‘s input,” Council Chief Executive Geoff Williams said.

“We’ve received some very good commentary from people and have had a lot of feedback on not only the proposed model, but also the other models which were considered by Council and were part of the consultation.

“People have suggested variations of all of the models, as well as putting forward some completely different ideas. All of these will be looked at and analysed by our staff and the petitions will also be added to the mix for councillors’ consideration,” Mr Williams said.

More than 250 people attended public information sessions held to provide further detail to help people form an opinion and make submissions.

“The feedback we’ve had from many people is that these sessions were very useful.”

Information about the proposal and the models considered by councillors in December was available online and in information packs. Online information included questions and answers which were added to as more questions were raised by members of the public.

There had been a steady flow of submissions throughout the six-week public consultation period, Mr Williams said.

All submissions and the petitions would go to councillors and be made available to the public on Council’s website once collated, which was expected to be by the end of this week.

More than 160 submitters indicated they wished to speak to councillors at hearings, the first scheduled for 30 April. These verbal submissions would also be taken into consideration in council officers’ analysis of submissions and a report would go to councillors to help with their decision-making, Mr Williams said.

Councillors are expected to deliberate and make a decision about the proposal at an extraordinary Council meeting on 26 May.

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