Council offered station

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 343, 10 July 1990, Page 3

Council offered station

New Zealand Railways have offered the Ohakune Junction station to the Ruapehu District Council.

Railways Property Division representatives met with Mayor Garrick Workman in Wellington last week and told him they are firmly of the view that they own the building and that the lease agreement with Chris Allum is now null and void. Mayor Workman told the Waimarino Community Board last Thursday the Railways are now looking for a responsible body to take on the station and that they would prefer the council "because the council is here to stay". He said he told Railways the Ruapehu South Business Association was interested in taking on the project and that there were possibly other groups also interested. The council is now calling for firm interest from commercial operators who would iease space in the building. "The reality for the Ruapehu District Council is that we have no money and the whole thing will come down and we'd be lucky to get a concrete box to replace it if the community isn't interested," said the Mayor. He said Railways would provide some materials to help upgrade it.

"I think the building should be pulled down and a proper shelter erected and proper toilets put up at a more suitable site," said Councillor Doug Bennett. Cr Bill Peach suggested half the building could be dismantled and the other half upgraded, reducing maintenance costs and the problem of finding a use for the

whole space. Mayor Workman said he thought the RSBA would be quite capable of looking after the building but that there were others who would not be happy to see the group take it on. He said there was no guarantee that if the building came down that anything would replace it and that could be the last straw for Rail-

ways stopping passenger trains in Ohakune. The Waimarino Community Board resolved to advertise for people and/or groups who would be willing to help the council upgrade the building and people interested in using the building, to make submission to council before the next full council meeting.