R.S.B.A. takes on info centre

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 293, 4 July 1989, Page 1

R.S.B.A. takes on info centre

The Automobile Association is handing over the running of the Waimarino Information Centre to the Ruapehu South Business Association.

The centre is in a District Council owned building in Clyde Street, Ohakune and last week the council agreed to hand over the office to the association, after the council asked if the RSBA would be interested in taking on the job. The change over will see the AA swap offices with Speedlink, the New Zealand Railways agent, which is housed in the same building. Mrs Pat Goldfinch currently runs the Speedlink agency and she will continue in that role as well as running the information centre. The AA have decided to relinquish the information centre because it conflicts with the service offered to AA members and to its travel agency work. AA

officer Kim White said during the ski season it becomes impossible at times to spend time with travel agency customers and AA members as well as provide information to visitors. RSBA will lease the "Jenco Building" for a peppercorn rental and sublease offices to the AA. The speedlink agency commission will go to the RSBA to help offset the costs of running the information centre. It has also been suggested the information centre will

offer a booking service for various activities in the area and earn commissions. The council decided last week to contribute a $2000 information centre grant, the costs of rates and insurance,

and a $2500 maintenance contribution. Maintenance The association has asked that in addition to the maintenance grant that the council grant a one-off payment of $2500 for

additional maintenance necessary due to the "past low levels of maintenance on the building". The group asked that such a grant be passed to them because they could carry out such work using voluntary labour and get better value from the money. During the winter the centre would be open seven days a week and in summer, five days a week except for public holidays: The association expects to pay $18,000 in wages plus and extra $7000 in the first year for office expenses. Voluntary labour will also be used to help man the office. The group has shelved plans to employ a promotions officer. Council say District Manager John Murrihy said the council will require a say in the running of the centre, due to the financial input it is Turnpage2

Information

From page 1 making. There was some discussion at the council meeting on where the council funding for the centre would come from. Raetihi Ward Councillor Tom Punch, after earlier taking exception to the RSBA "taking up more of council's meeting time", asked if the money is to come out of just the Ohakune Ward funds or from the District as a whole. John Murrihy advised that the RSBA representatives had been invited to attend the meeting for councillors

to ask questions of them. Cr Bruce Thompson said though the centre was situated in Ohakune it promoted the whole area, from Pipiriki and Raetihi to Waiouru to Whakapapa. Mayor Garrick Workman said the District "certainly needed and information centre" and that the present site was ideal. "Crackling frosts" Whilst not breaking any weather records the past three "good crackling frosts" do rate a mention. The minimum air temperature over the weekend at the Ohakune Ranger Station was - 4.5 degrees Celsius and the min grass temperature, -8 degrees Celsius.