Decision due on reserve proposal RESERVES FOR DISPOSAL

Committee may recommend idea goes out for consultation The following reserves or parts of reserves are proposed for revocation and disposal:

Aproposal to sell off 10 reserve sites for housing in Rotorua is one step closer to reality, with a council committee to consider recommending it for public consultation this week.

The housing would be a mix of public housing, affordable housing and private development from market sales.

If the proposal proceeds, it is likely the council will enable the sale of the reserves with a local bill through Parliament.

It follows Local Democracy Reporting’s revelation of the plan, which was discussed in a closed-door council workshop in February.

In a council statement ahead of tomorrow’s Strategy, Policy and Finance committee meeting, it said elected members would consider whether to consult on a proposal to dispose of “excess reserve sites” in the city to make them available for housing.

Elected members would consider a proposal for community consultation and feedback before any decisions were made about the reserves’ futures.

Ten sites were identified — two full reserves and parts of eight further reserves. The statement said those sites did “not meet open space policy objectives” and could be used for housing, including Ka¯inga Ora developments.

The statement said the sites proposed for disposal had an area of about 9.5 hectares — “about 0.6 per cent of [the] council’s overall reserves network” of more than 370 individual reserves, totalling about 1500 ha.

The two full reserves were the Gallagher St Reserve, which was used for grazing animals, and the Lee Rd Reserve, which had “no facilities and is close to other large reserves”.

The eight others were in parts of reserves “that fall short of safety design standards and or have no clear purpose or function and or are areas where safety is a concern”.

Elected members would consider recommending the council approve community consultation to help it decide “whether or not to dispose of any reserve or part of any reserve; the legal method for disposal; the reserves to be developed or improved with funds from any proceeds of sale [and] any conditions to be applied to housing development by purchasers”.

The statement said the committee would also consider recommending to the council a local bill was “identified as the preferred legal method for revocation and disposal and that [the] council notes proceeds of sales will be use to improve existing reserves or to purchase new reserves”.

It would also consider recommending the council consult on a statement of proposal which included in-principle support for direct sale of six sites to Ka¯ inga Ora, and that sites not sold directly to Ka¯inga Ora were sold by market sale or directly to a community housing provider “where appropriate”.

It would also be conditional on the purchaser committing to delivering housing within two years.

The council said Rotorua had an “over-supply” of reserve land in some areas due to historic use as sports fields, compared with limited or no provision in other areas”.

The statement revealed “early consultation” had already begun on the idea, with mana whenua and local community groups.

“The Wrigley Rd Reserve was included in the proposal following discussion with the Fordlands Community Association which is working to achieve housing and wellbeing outcomes in its community.

“It is proposed council staff continue working with the association to identify a suitable community housing provider to develop housing there.”s

The statement said community feedback would inform council decisions about whether to proceed with the proposal and how, and there would be a further public consultation process under either the Reserves Act or as part of the pursuit of a local bill.

Ka¯inga Ora had “expressed an initial interest“in purchasing six sites, it said.

Reserve status for the identified reserve sites must be revoked before they could be sold, the statement said.

The full council will need to approve the committee’s recommendations in order for the next step to be taken. The next council meeting will be on May 26.

In April, Local Democracy Reporting revealed a proposal to dispose of some or all of 10 reserves for housing, via documents obtained from a closed-door council workshop. That document named Ranginui St Reserve as an identified site, but it was not included in the council’s public proposal. Wrigley Rd Reserve was not included in the workshop document.

Eight other sites identified for consideration are parts of reserves that fall

short of safety design standards and or have no clear purpose or function and or are areas where safety is a concern.

Council statement