Background

Rotorua Lakes Council proposed to change the reserve classification of part of Alexander Road Reserve at Lake Tarawera. The reason for the proposed change of classification was to enable the building located on the reserve to be used for community purposes as the current reserve classification only permits the building to be used for the purposes of a play centre.

Alexander Road Reserve, being Part Lot 144 DP 36908, is a Council owned and managed reserve located on Alexander Road and Spencer Road at Lake Tarawera. In 1994, Council gave approval for a building to be located on part of the reserve for the Rotorua Playcentre Association to run a Playcentre service for the Lake Tarawera community. To enable this to happen, the part of the reserve occupied by the building was classified as Local Purpose (Playcentre) Reserve under the Reserves Act 1977.

In November 2017, the Tarawera Playcentre ceased operating due low attendance numbers and the building was gifted to the Lake Tarawera Community Group Inc. The lease for the reserve was subsequently assigned to the Lake Tarawera Community Group on the proviso that the building cannot be used for anything other than a Playcentre until such time as the reserve classification is changed.

What was proposed?

The Lake Tarawera Community Group Inc sought to operate the building as a community centre. Some of the community activities that the Tarawera Community Group Inc proposed the building will be used for include:

• Yoga and Thai Chi
• Children's activities e.g. mainly music
• For use by community groups e.g. sailing club, civil defence, men's shed
• Mobile library service
• Community meetings

To enable the building to be used for these types of activities, the classification of the reserve needs to be changed under the Reserves Act 1977. Council therefore proposed to change the classification of the reserve from Local Purpose (Playcentre) Reserve to Local Purpose (Community) Reserve.