Shovel-ready projects

Mayor Steve Chadwick congratulates council staff

All eight of Rotorua’s “shovelready” bids have beaten 1098 other applications to reach a “long shortlist” of 802.

An update on the progression of the applications — worth a total of $210 million — was given at a Rotorua Lakes Council meeting yesterday.

Council strategy manager Jeanpaul Gaston said the council had made the “long shortlist” for all projects submitted.

”[The] Government has advised us last week that our seven, and the additional eighth project — which was the one submitted by [Te Puni Kokiri], which we supported for Kaingaroa Village — was also through in that last 802 projects.”

He said the council had been “very clear” to make sure the submitted projects complied with the criteria set out by Crown Infrastructure Partners.

“It was really valuable that we had had a number of projects that were underway prior to Covid that we could look back towards and say ‘these would support the district’s recovery’ as well as addressing other issues that we already had.”

Gaston understood Crown Infrastructure Partners had been “quite overwhelmed” with the number of applications, which was “well over 1900”.

Since mid-april, there had been requests for additional information on Rotorua’s seven submitted projects, which Gaston said was “just to provide some additional clarity”.

Gaston said the council had been asked if any of the submitted projects would benefit from Resource Management Act fast-tracking, and the council’s answer had been that it would not.

“Most of our projects have been based on relationships, particularly with our iwi partners, that have been developed . . . over a number of years.

“We felt that it was appropriate to maintain the current levels of discussions and [didn’t] see the need to fast-track any of those processes.”

Mayor Steve Chadwick congratu