Mayor Steve Chadwick says confirmation there will be no additional MIQ facilities in Rotorua is great news.

“It’s really good we have been listened to and I thank Minister Hipkins and his Cabinet colleagues for that.

“The prospect of more MIQ in our city was genuinely worrying and it was good to see the community and local leaders, including our MPs, getting activated and voicing their concerns.

“Those of us who met with MIQ officials last month – including representatives from Council, Lakes DHB, Te Arawa and Rotorua Economic Development – were very emphatic that Rotorua is already doing its share of the MIQ load for New Zealand and cannot sustain any more.

“Minister Hipkins was also informed and very aware of our collective concerns and we were assured that our views would be taken into consideration,” Mayor Chadwick says.

“For us it was about supporting our health and police staff, who are already stretched supporting our existing MIQ facilities, supporting all of our businesses and operators who rely on tourism and ensuring we retain capacity for visitors.

“We are still in very challenging times with COVID and New Zealand is not out of the woods yet, but here in Rotorua we are also trying to work on some other very big local challenges, like housing.”

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