Most of the first day focused on the department’s evidence, which included how he thought the problems would get worse if the consents were not extended.

Testimony from Rotorua Lakes Council on Wednesday delved into details such as specific conditions at motels.

He said he would work with the department on topics such as strengthening alcohol policies and how it could improve play areas in motels within a year, as well as details of an exit strategy.

Lorelle Barry, head of the council’s planning and consents team, said licensed motels had a high degree of compliance overall and direct complaints were made to the council about things such as noise and illegal parking.

Consultant Rebecca Foy testified about the social impact of emergency motel housing and agreed with the department that it was difficult to prove whether problems near motels were attributable to residents of contracted motels or not.

She noted that the perpetrators’ testimonies showed a perception that the use of motels as emergency housing created detrimental effects on the social well-being of the community.

Sale of property impacted and ongoing mistrust

Submissions from individuals included issues such as a desire to see an increase in reports of motel occupancy, disbelief that all motel residents are locals, and distrust of the process and the agencies involved.

Violent clashes, public begging, and instances of public urination and defecation in city centers have all been attributed to emergency accommodation by several authors.

Pressure group Restore Rotorua also argued it did not want the consents to be granted.

Glenholme member and owner Carolyne Hall said she was fighting the “Goliaths” of the council and ministry.

She said it’s the residents who are the real experts.

Hall described how, this year, she put her family home up for sale. In June, 24 hours before the sale was final, his solicitor sent an email saying the buyer was withdrawing after finding consent for emergency accommodation in the LIM report relating to the property behind his.

She described how contracted emergency shelter motels have taken a toll on her family – physically and emotionally – and now a financial loss.

Restore Rotorua president Trevor Newbrook said the group supported placing people in housing, but not motels, which were deemed unsuitable as a long-term solution.

Restore Rotorua legal advisor Bridget Bailey focused on the “lived experiences” of residents at large: their disappointment at having to re-engage with the process and how, despite their evidence, consents were granted in 2022.

There were then almost 4,000 submissions from 350 bidders. There were more than 100 out of 37 participants this year.

Bailey said there were fewer submissions from the community because they felt “battle-weary” and distrustful of the process.

In 2022, they had “light at the end of the tunnel” and there was a feeling that the ministry was not being held accountable for its requirement for consent to vacate hotels this year.

She said the anxiety and fear were as real now as they were in 2022 and it was “totally unacceptable” to continue for another year.

Bailey said off-site anti-social behavior was a “very predictable” consequence.

Nearby residents were unsafe in their own homes or walking around their neighborhoods, witnessing fights, increased police presence, encountering intruders, seeing trash and shopping carts used by the motel occupants.

These residents were the experts on negative impacts, she said, because they experienced them daily and the last two years showed those impacts were “very real.”

Restore Rotorua legal adviser Mai Chen said at the very least psychological harm had been caused to residents.

His testimony placed strong emphasis on what the group believed to be a lack of detail provided in the consent applications, particularly regarding reducing the use of motels.

“It’s just too speculative in the face of the community suffering she’s currently experiencing.” »

This time, residents had little confidence in the process, she said, and they wanted black-and-white details.

The requests were not bespoke, but all seven were identical, she said, and did not reflect the government’s position of having only four motels in operation by mid-2025.

“It’s about people’s lives. This is psychological harm caused… they have already been victims of it for four years.”

She didn’t believe there was enough evidence that there were plans to leave the motels in a year.

The hearing will end today.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously covered general news for the Otago Daily Times and the Southland Express, and has been a journalist since 2019.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.