Rotorua Lakes Council Capital works programme

Dave from Hillcrest - Pomare

Last september (or so) we attended a meeting at Rotorua Stadium to discuss a walking/cycle track from Utahina Rd to Baxendale reserve which is toward a council water facility . Given the very difficult terrain and expense for very little participation or gain for the community, the very large majority of those at the meeting could not see the sense in what was an ill conceived idea and plan. Bridging the Utahina stream in a hidden area at a closed water trout spawning area is only inviting more poaching than already exists. It seems the 6 council employees present at that meeting ignored what most were speaking and/or writing comments on their detailed plans .It was a bad unwanted idea/plan and most residents thought they got the message. Having got the Capital Works Programme for 2024 I was annoyed to see that the Rotorua Council are proposing to spend $ 472,500.00 on this track and this would probably increase to well over half a million dollars when they realise what they have failed to see because no one came out in the recent severe rain to view what really happens in this area with long term flooding and stream banks crumbling and collapsing. Most residents here are against this project proceeding and have put forward a strong petition with the hope that elected councillors see that the cycle/walking track track is not worth spending half a million of hard earned ratepayers dollars on without getting a real engineer to look at the true logistics of such a project to justify a track very very few appear to want.