Council plant report reviewed

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 364, 27 November 1990, Page 9

Council plant report reviewed

A report reviewing the District Council's plant utilisation and recommending sale of surplus equipment received mixed reactions from councillors at Friday's meeting. General Manager Cliff Houston said the Council's objective should be for a smaller, higher quality pool of plant, whereas numerous items owned by the council are currently under-utilised. The report also cited the need for the implementation of a replacement programme for the council's fleet of vehicles. Several councillors expressed the opinion that further discussion and consideration of the matter was needed before any sale of plant equipment took place. Councillor Weston Kirton said that the council should be concerned about the cost of vehicle replacement, opting for a practice of "re-build-ing" over re-placing plant. Cr Eddie Turley said the report was in need of further investigative work before any action was taken. "Some equipment, whilst fairly old, may be necessary to our business," he said. Cr Turley said he was approached by concerned individuals wanting an input into the matter and suggested that those concerned have the opportunity to put forward their views in an up-dated report. Mr Houston replied that the report was not prepared in a vacuum. "It was not prepared by one person who dreamed up the ideas. It was thoroughly canvassed in the operations directorate and was modified again by the managing team," he said. Mr Houston assured councillors that the report would be looked at again by the "correct" people in the operations directorate and brought back as a re-evaluation at their February meeting. They agreed however, to purchase two new mowers to replace existing equipment.