Together We Are Stronger

Kia ora koutou, As part of Rotorua’s Build Back Better economic recovery approach, our council has continued to invest in our district and its future. This includes continuing to progress key place-shaping projects that are keeping people in jobs.

Enhancement to our Whakarewarewa forest environment – a key attractor of repeat visitors, especially mountain bikers – is now complete. And, the redevelopment of our

lakefront is progressing at pace – this is really starting to take shape! When finished, this will be a fantastic space for locals and visitors, and will support existing lakefront operators and planned new hotel and spa developments, as well as providing new commercial opportunities. What’s next for our CBD is being considered as part of our economic recovery efforts and that will also link with work to increase housing. This is an issue we are tackling in collaboration with central government agencies and Te Arawa. While the tourism sector has shown resilience, we are preparing for another challenging year ahead. Development of new products to attract local and domestic visitors, new businesses popping up around the city, and hosting conferences and events, will become even more important in helping us overcome the impacts of COVID-19. It makes me feel proud of our place to see that despite the challenges, there is also still a lot of positivity in action. Kia kaha, Steve Chadwick

MAYOR, ROTORUA