Hospital saving group

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 297, 1 August 1989, Page 2

Hospital saving group

After a year of indecision, we in the Waimarino area are beginning to feel like the folk aboard the ship on that traumatic trip "VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED". What with so many changes being made and remade, we are wondering just where we will eventually end up and who wants us. • Forced amalgamation of the three local authorities to the Waimarino District Council. • Head Office at Raetihi or Ohakune? Ended up at Ohakune. • Forced amalgamation with Ruapehu District Council, head office at T aumarunui. • Local office for this was to be at Raetihi, then changed to Ohakune, in spite of a large mortgage still owing on the Ohakune building. (I must admit though that this is probably fairer to Waiouru folk but in this day and age we all have to want what is best for our own town). • Closed Post Office in Raetihi. Sub office made at Raetihi office but no doubt this will close when the Raetihi office closes as well. I hope not. • Wanganui Area Health Board are forced to make cuts in out area which will affect everyone with loss of some beds and services, at our Waimarino Hospital. • Wanganui Area Health Board has now come under the jurisdiction of the Palmerston North Area Health Board. This means that we will be the furtherest hospital north in the Palmerston North Area Board. I wonder if they will consider us when making their cuts? We would have been better to have been amalgamated with the Taumarunui Hospital under the Waikato Area Health Board due to this area being included and based in Taumarunui, under the Ruapehu District Council. It would be more central for most folk. There is a group of people who are interested in preparing a strong case for the retaining of our Waimarino Hospital, and would like anyone who is interested in helping us to ring the following numbers and offer your support. There is a lot of research to be done which has been started and we will appreciate any information at all that will hopefully help our case. If you are interested in helping in any way at all, please ring Faith Wise 54-270, Dorothy Battersby 58-138 or Julia Martin 54-687. We would appreciate any help whatsoever. Faith Wise Raetihi

Who pays? Re: Letter to the Editor, Ruapehu Bulletin 25 July, "Who invited them? The visit of His Excellency and Lady Reeves was planned in late 1988 by the King Country Visual Arts Trust to coincide with the opening of their annual festival on 11 November 1989 in Taumarunui. Their Excellencies had also planned to spend two days in the T aumarunui area prior to the opening of the festival, so the invitation of Taumarunui Borough Council was extended to formally visit Taumarunui as we have not had the previous pleasure of a Vice Regal Visft. The detail of the visit to Taumarunui was planned by representatives of the Borough, Country and Maori authorities of the Taumarunui area. The General Manager Designate of the Ruapehu District Council, Mr Houston attended the early planning meetings. Mr Mottram's letter infers a relationship * between the increase in transition committee costs and the Vice Regal visit - readers should be aware that this is not the case. As this visit is particular to Taumarunui it would be expected that all costs will be met by the Ohura, Taumarunui and National park wards of the District. T.J. Podmore J.P. Mayor Taumarunui