Stories by Felix Desmarais

"Remarkable." That's how Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick describes a $7.9 million "underlying" operating surplus for the first year of Covid-19. The overall result is an $11.6m deficit.

Two Rotorua district councillors believe the process that saw the adoption of one seat in its Māori ward was manipulated to achieve the outcome most desired by mayor Steve Chadwick.

Rotorua Lakes Council have agreed - by one vote - to adopt a governance model with one Māori ward seat, despite protestations from its iwi partnership.

Te Arawa is calling on local councillors to "vote carefully" ahead of its final decision on the future governance structure of the council today.

A Te Arawa representative says it is "insulting" and a "farce" the council did not consult with iwi about a proposed new governance structure.

"The breaking point won't necessarily occur within intensive care, it may occur in other services such as the emergency department, inpatient," Saville-Wood said.

Rotorua needs more than 3500 dwellings by 2023, a target the district council proposes but admits it will be unlikely to meet.

More CCTV cameras will be installed to address crime and anti-social behaviour in Rotorua, particularly in the inner city and near emergency accommodation sites on Fenton St.

A public relations and journalism expert says Rotorua Lakes Council's failure to circulate media releases about two recent public health incidents "sounds amateurish".

Rotorua Lakes Council had received 1144 noise complaints about a single commercial premises between November 2019 and August 2021 - but won't say where it is.

Waka Kotahi the New Zealand Transport Agency says funding from Auckland's scrapped 'Skypath' harbour bridge cycleway could be redirected to regional roads, such as Rotorua.

Many of Rotorua's major projects have been delayed due to effects from the Covid-19 lockdown in Auckland.

An "organisational realignment" that created seven deputy chief executives at Rotorua Lakes Council was devised in part by at least six of the seven people who took the roles.

Some Rotorua district councillors are "absolutely outraged" over the council redirecting constituents' emails about Three Waters reform away from their councillor inboxes, saying it is "gross…

Māori health experts say the age-based approach baked inequities into the Covid-19 vaccine rollout and giving Māori and Pasifika vaccination priority could have dampened the Delta outbreak.

Rotorua Lakes Council appears to remain open-minded but "sceptical" when it comes to Three Waters reform.

The National Party MP also says Rotorua feels "beaten up by the government" over MIQ facilities and other issues, such as homelessness.

Rotorua Lakes Council hopes to secure more than $113 million in government funding for infrastructure developments to enable the construction of 5000 new homes in the city.

A Rotorua couple in their 70s say they have been left confused and "angry" after being turned away from a second Covid-19 vaccination in Rotorua.

It follows a unanimous call from Lakes DHB members last Friday for the government to rule Rotorua out of any additional MIQ facilities.

Democracy Reporter Felix Desmarais caught up with Bay of Plenty and Waiariki leaders to find out how they're spending their downtime in lockdown this time around.

A Rotorua leader has told the government to "bugger off" when it comes to introducing new managed isolation facilities in the city.

A Rotorua leader says the district could become a destination for "climate refugees" as a result of the impact of climate change.

The government has confirmed it is investigating additional managed isolation facilities in a number of locations, including Rotorua.

Embattled Rotorua Lakes councillor Reynold Macpherson is vowing to "boycott" the latest code of conduct investigation into his behaviour.