Rotorua Lakes Council is currently engaging with the community about the proposed work programme and budget for the 2022/23 financial year and will be hosting public talks at Rotorua Library over the next two weeks for those that would like to learn more and provide feedback.

Public talks will be held on:

· Wednesday 27 April: 5.30pm – 6.30pm, Rotorua Library – Te Aka Mauri

· Tuesday 3 May: 5.30pm – 6.30pm, Rotorua Library – Te Aka Mauri

Council is proposing to uplift Year 2 (2022/23 financial year) of the 2021-2031 Long-term Plan (LTP), and while consultation is not required when there are no material changes from what is signalled in the LTP, feedback is being sought during the community engagement period to help inform final decision-making.

A discussion document outlining the proposed work programme is available HERE.

The document sets out what is proposed for 2022/23, how that will be funded, and what challenges and risks Council expects to be facing during this period.

What’s proposed for the 2022/23 year, in summary:

· Overall average rates increase of 5.7%, as signalled in the LTP.

· Debt increase of $84m which is broadly in line with what was indicated in the LTP and is well within Council’s debt limits.

· Debt will be used to support $143m of investment in infrastructure for the community and the key focus of the LTP remains – including housing and development, safety and security and projects such as the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Centre and Aquatic Centre upgrades.

Key strategies

While we continue to face challenging and uncertain times, Council remains committed to delivering on the five key strategies underpinning the LTP - homes and thriving communities, community safety, economic development, climate action and enabling infrastructure.

Risks and challenges

The risks to ongoing service provision Council has identified include Covid-19, climate change, Government reforms, staff retention and recruitment, inflation, interest costs and the reputation of Rotorua. Within the discussion document, Council highlights these risks and how they will be managed to ensure Council is in a position to continue to provide essential services to the community and to operate with minimal disruption.

Completion of projects

In 2022/23 the community can look forward to the completion of some of Council’s place shaping projects - the Sir Howard Morrison Centre, Whakarewarewa Forest project and the Lakefront Redevelopment.

Have your say between 11 April and 11 May

There are a variety of ways to provide feedback and engage with Council about this plan during the engagement period, 11 April – 11 May.

Members of the public are encouraged to:

· Visit Let’s Talk/Kōrero mai at rotorualakescouncil.nz/koreromai and complete a feedback form; or

· Phone Council on 0800 020 001 and provide verbal feedback; or

· Post comments and suggestions on the Rotorua Lakes Council Facebook page. Comments and suggestions will be considered (note: receipt of feedback provided via social media cannot be acknowledged); or

· Attend one of the public talks detailed above.

Upcoming conversations

As indicated in the LTP, Council will be consulting with the community on a number of conversation topics throughout this year. Follow us on social media or visit rotorualakescouncil.nz/koreromai to stay up-to-date.

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