Shame on you, NZ Rail

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 336, 15 May 1990, Page 2

Shame on you, NZ Rail

New Zealand Railways must surely accept responsibility for the present sorry and disgusting state of the Ohakune Railway Station. The position as I understand it, following a meeting in Ohakune last week, is as follows. A little over a year ago the Ohakune Railway Station building was put up for tender and there were two bidders. Qne was a local group of businesses and concerned citizens who had prepared a submission which proposed that the whole area of the station be landscaped with

native trees, the approach road and platform cobblestones, the building itself restored and converted into a small information office, visitor centre, railway museum and cafeteria/tearooms. The public toilets at the station were also to be restored, these being the only facility up at the Junction for the many visitors who frequent that area of Ohakune during the winter months. It was hoped that by making the Railway Station an attractive and useful focus of attention it would present visitors to Ohakune

with the image of a goahead little town which has played a significant part in the history of the area - the development of the Main Trunk Line, forestry, market gardening, skiing etc. This 'image' would also apply to those hundreds of passengers (including many overseas tourists) who pass through Ohakune each day and stop for a few moments at the station before continuing their journeys on to Wellington or Auckland. Drawings and plans were commissioned in order to present these proposals to New Zealand Railways and it was explained to them that the restoration work would be carried out by local labour so as to give the community some stake in "their" railway station as well as to provide employment. On-going employment was also to be provided by staffing the information office, museum and tearooms.

It was even hoped that by restoring the station and making it into an attractive little showcase, NZ Railways could be persuaded to re-schedule the Silver Fern railcar to stop in Ohakune for 5-10 minutes to allow passengers the opportunity to break their long journey, stretch their legs, take in a bit of local history and buy some refreshments - including Johnny Nation's world - famous sausage rolls and chocolate eclairs! Local businesses and the community raised a sum of $11,500 through pledges and individual donations towards this project and this was the tender submitted to New Zealand Railways for the ownership-lease of the Ohakune Railways Station and environs. The other bidder was a Mr Chris Allum of New Sensations, the bungy-jumping organisation. It is not known what Mr Allum paid for the building or what he proposed to do about

renovation and maintenance. Whatever the bid, New Zealand Railways accepted his tender and thereby abbrogated all social responsibility (remember when railways were a public asset owned and operated by a benign and caring government with a social conscience?!) and sold the building to Mr Allum in April or May of last year. The result (as was predicted) has been disastrous not only for this historic building but also for the opportunities lost in providing local employment and presenting an appropriate image of this entire community. Shame on you, New Zealand Railways.

Concerned. Citizen