Residents of a rural Rotorua community have taken a public stand against plans for a local facility for ex-prisoners reintegrating into society.

There was standing room only as about 80 people attended one of the last Rotorua Lakes Council meetings for the year on Wednesday.

The majority were there to deliver a letter to elected members, asking the council to oppose a resource consent application enabling the Pūwhakamua reintegration facility to move from Ōwhata to Waikite Valley.

Pūwhakamua is a tikanga Māori live-in reintegration service for men on parole needing support to return and readapt into the community.

It was the brainchild of reformed drug lord Billy Macfarlane six years ago and has received Government funding.

Run by Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust, it applied for resource consent in October to relocate to Waikite, about 40km south of Rotorua.

Rotorua councillors heard on Wednesday members of the valley community strongly objected to the proposal and urged the council to reject it.

Valley resident Philip Hawken read the elected members a letter on behalf of the Waikite Valley Community Collective.

Hawken said the proposed site was one of “the most isolated rural locations in the region”.

While such facilities were needed, the group believed putting one in an isolated rural area presented “significant and unacceptable risks to the safety and wellbeing” of existing residents, he said, and would have ongoing adverse social effects.

Challenges associated with living rurally included limited access to support services, infrastructure, power and phone connection and emergency services.

In the group’s view: “The nature of the proposed reintegration facility poses additional safety and security risks to communities in general.”

The proposed location heightened that risk, he said.

Hawken said rural residents should not bear the burden of risks associated with activities that did not align with the rural way of life.

About 80 people attended Wednesday's Rotorua Lakes Council meeting, most of them opposing a resource consent application. Photo / Laura Smith

He said the proposal highlighted a need for broader strategic planning by the council.

“We request the council incorporates guidelines and policies that identify the most suitable locations within our district to safely accommodate activities like those proposed by the trust.

“This proactive approach would ensure that future projects are located in areas of the Rotorua district that have better access to support services, infrastructure and emergency services, eliminating the undue and disproportionate strain on rural residents.”

About 70 people stood behind him as he spoke, and clapped when he finished.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell thanked them for attending.

She said the letter was valuable for the council, “but also powerful for the community”.

Tapsell said after the meeting the application would go through an independent assessment process before a final decision is made.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell at an October meeting. Photo / Laura Smith

The application

The trust applied for resource consent in October 17 and had requested limited notification be carried out to immediate neighbours and that submissions were invited through a formal process.

The application, published on the council’s website, said Pūwhakamua was a tikanga Māori reintegration service that provided a live-in residential programme for men who had completed rehabilitation in custody and been approved to continue their journey in a safe and accountable environment.

“The rural location provides a setting where focus on cultural values can be fostered away from the distractions of an urban environment.”

The proposal included accommodation for up to 10 residents and five staff in standalone cabins, plus shared living and ablution spaces.

It said residents ready to rejoin society and “carefully selected via a robust referral process and stringent assessment” would live on-site for at least six months.

“Full support and care are provided through the programme via on-site resident staff and external agencies. Residents commit to pursuing lasting change through support with daily life tasks, upskilling programmes, vocational education, personal development and employment.”

A pre-application community engagement letter to residents from Tikanga Aroro Charitable Trust chairman Doug Macredie was included in the application.

It said Pūwhakamua’s pre-selection process and six-year track record would “ensure that our involvement in our new community will be only respectful and positive”.

“Our service is highly regarded and supported by the Ministry of Justice, the New Zealand Parole Board, the Department of Corrections and community leaders throughout the Rotorua district.”

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 the Southland Express, and has been a journalist since 2019.