Cemetery reserve land could be returned to iwi and developed to help address Rotorua’s housing shortage.

The Rotorua Lakes Council is backing the idea and has invited the public to have a say on a proposed land purpose change.

The council has publicly notified a change of purpose for about 3.5 hectares of land next to the Rotorua Crematorium and Cemetery to speed up the potential development.

The land borders Sala St and Te Ngae Rd and was gifted to the city by Ngāti Whakaue in 1880, when Rotorua was founded, for use as a cemetery.

But the ground in the northern area is not suitable for burials and needs to be returned to the iwi as it is not being used for its gifted purpose, as per a 1996 agreement between the two.

The process to revoke reserve status can take five years and, in a statement this week, the council said it was enabling “this aspiration sooner” by changing the land purpose to community housing.

“Rotorua Lakes Council supports this aspiration as part of the recently signed Rotorua Housing Accord.”

It would be leased to Ngāti Whakaue through the Pukeroa Ōruawhata Trust for development to begin while it waited for reserve revocation.

The statement said the nearby crematorium posed no health risks to people and the council would retain and manage the significant area of vegetation between the crematorium and the reserve area proposed for housing.

Te Ngae Rd is a state highway and the council said noise pollution mitigations would be considered during the design phase for any housing.

“Waka Kotahi [NZ Transport Agency] has also given preliminary approval for a housing development in this space subject to further detailed information being provided about the proposed development.”

The land planned to be returned to iwi sits next to Rotorua Crematorium and Cemetery on Sala St. Image / Rotorua Lakes Council

Councillors approved consultation on the matter in December. Urban development and partnerships strategic lead Stephanie Kelly said in a report for a meeting the trust wanted to develop to aid the housing crisis in the city, specifically to provide opportunities to Ngāti Whakaue descendants.

She said the trust was discussing funding to enable this with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.

A council project in 2021 found Rotorua would need about 9740 additional houses over the next 30 years.

In response to Local Democracy Reporting questions, Pukeroa Oruawhata deputy chairman David Tapsell said it proposed last year to consider certain surplus gifted reserve whenua being returned and potentially used for housing developments.

“We are keen to explore the potential development of housing on this whenua, which would support our aspiration to see Ngāti Whakaue whānau and other Rotorua residents into safe, warm homes, while also helping ease Rotorua’s housing crisis.”

He said the process for the cemetery reserve had only just begun and planning was at an early stage.

“It is far too soon for us to explore any plans or details.”

“We are pleased that Ngāti Whakaue, through Pukeroa, can continue making a significant positive impact for our people and the local community – as we have done since 1880.

“In this case, it is through the potential development of new housing which will help ease pressure in other parts of the city.”

The consultation period closes on August 8.

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

- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air