Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has officially opened the Rotorua Inner City Community Safety Hub.

Together with Police and other community safety partners, Mayor Tapsell acknowledged that this is the next step in work underway to improve safety for the Rotorua community.

Having listened to community feedback, the Inner City Community Safety Hub (the Hub) is a collaborative initiative between Rotorua Lakes Council, Police, Māori Wardens, community safety volunteers and security operators to improve community safety.

The Hub’s central location provides a base where staff can meet, coordinate resources, and provide support to inner city businesses and visitors. 

“We take community safety seriously and are delivering a locally led and practical solution to address safety concerns,” says Tapsell.  

“Our Safe City Guardians, Police and Māori Wardens do an incredible job. We are working together to ensure we deliver the best outcomes for Rotorua.

“I’m very happy with the speed in which we’ve delivered this and look forward to a more positive future.”

Rotorua Area Commander Herby Ngawhika.

Local businesses and people coming into the inner city can feel confident that there is a robust system in place to keep them safe.

Safe City Guardians will be actively patrolling or will be based at the Hub ready to respond if required, and council’s CCTV monitoring staff will provide support, proactively feeding through live information to help deter any issues before they happen.

“Police will continue to focus on being out on the street in the community preventing and responding to crime,” says Area Commander Inspector Herby Ngawhika.

“Our Community Constable will begin his mornings at the Hub sharing information with Safe City Guardians and Māori Wardens so we can coordinate where our joint resources are deployed out and about during the day. 

“When I came into this role a year ago, it was with the kaupapa Rotorua together, safe and thriving. It is the same today. I want our CBD to be a place where people can be safe and feel safe. Over the past 12 months, we’ve committed to increased visibility of our staff around the city centre and that continues to be our focus.

“We also know how important working together is – to solve community issues we need the community working together. No one agency can solve them in isolation. The key is putting our heads and mahi together and sharing our strengths.”

Chairperson for Rotorua and Waiariki Māori Wardens, Tangihaere Gloria HariHari-Hughes.

Chairperson for Rotorua and Waiariki Māori Wardens, Tangihaere Gloria HariHari-Hughes says that the Rotorua Community Māori Wardens will continue to provide their presence and protection approach and seek to avoid issues resulting in prosecution.

“Working in collaboration with Police, Rotorua Lakes Council’s Safe City Guardians and community patrols, the community hub has the ability to provide internal and external communications to assist the operational capacity of a wider coverage in providing community safety. It will also offer a kainga manaaki and whanaungatanga to all users.”

The Hub will operate 8am – 5pm on the weekdays and 8am – 1pm on Saturdays.

While the Hub is open to the public, the community is encouraged to seek assistance through the usual channels: 

• For Rotorua Lakes Council services phone 07 348 4199 or visit the council building at 1061 Haupapa Street.
• For the Safe City Guardians phone Rotorua Lakes Council on 07 348 4199.
• In the event of a life threatening emergency phone 111
• To report a crime that has already happened call 105 or use the online form, or visit the Rotorua Police Station on Fenton Street.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell and Rotorua Intermediate.