Tania Tapsell hints she may leave Rotorua’s mayoralty after 2028

Rotorua may have a new mayor after its 2028 council elections, with Tania Tapsell saying she is unlikely to seek another term. The mayor made the remarks while reflecting on the first year of her second term in an interview with Local Democracy Reporting. After 13 years in local politics, Tapsell described the past year as a whirlwind of political, financial and community pressures. She said she was now considering stepping away because she believed she could accomplish the goals that first brought her into office. Her stated priority is to leave Rotorua in a stronger position than she found it. Tapsell said she felt increasingly confident that she could deliver much of what she had promised. She has not presented her decision as final, but indicated that, at this stage, another mayoral campaign is unlikely. Tapsell called the restoration of Rotorua Museum the biggest achievement of her life. Construction work was completed on schedule in September, and the landmark is expected to fully reopen by 2028. The project involved substantial earthquake strengthening and cost about $73 million, including $15.5 million from ratepayers. Tapsell said completing a heritage project on budget, and in this case under budget, was a source of pride. She also pointed to efforts to reduce emergency housing numbers, improve safety in the city centre, increase tourism and secure government funding for local projects as parts of her record. But the mayor’s time in office has included difficult episodes as well. Tapsell described the Tarawera Sewerage Scheme dispute as the hardest period of her mayoralty. The High Court ruled in August that the council had acted unlawfully when it approved the scheme in 2020. Tapsell said protests and misinformation circulating on social media brought significant challenges, legal and protest costs, and hurt within the community.