Dollar golf offer repeated

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 385, 7 May 1991, Page 1

Dollar golf offer repeated

The offer of the golf course and tennis courts at Turoa Village in Ohakune to the Ruapehu District Council for a one dollar price tag has been made a second time.

The Waimarino Community Board will consider the offer again at their next meeting, in June. General manager of Turoa Ski Resort Ltd, Angus Grimwade, presented the Waimarino Community Board with options facing the company, at last week's board meeting. He told the board the company wants to see the facilities remain as they are and available for public use. He said the company is restructuring its operations, which includes moving all its activities up onto the mountain so that it can concentrate

on its main business - operating the skifield. He said the company will be leasing or selling all its land in the town. Mr Grimwade said at present the company is loosing on the operating costs of the facilities. He said it cost them approximately $22,000 per annum to maintain the golf course. The company recovers some of the costs through contributions by Turoa Village property owners. Under the original sale agreements they were to contribute to the facilities' maintenance if need be, he said. Turnpage2

Dollar golf course offer repeated

From page 1 Another cost which Mr Grimwade cited was the $7500 in rates incurred by the $300,000 worth of land that the course sits on. To avoid the administration problems of maintaining the course, the company is considering a number of options, said Mr Grimwade, including selling the facilities to the council for a token one dollar, which would see it maintained as a facility available to the general public. Other options include subdividing and selling the land, which he said the company does not want to do; fence and

graze the land, doing away with the golf course; or fence and graze the land but maintain the putting greens. Also possible was the remission of rates on the land, which would make it easier on the company, he said. In answer to a question relating to contributions by vi'llage property owners, Mr Grimwade said they had struck difficulties where properties had changed hands since the original subdivision and the present owners were not made aware of their contribution obligations by the sellers. Board chairman Colin Webb said there was

another golf course in the area which was under-utilised as well. He said the council had to be careful if it were to get involved when only small numbers of the

public us the facilities. Cr Doug Bennett asked Mr Grimwade if the company had approached the Waimarino Golf Club to see if they were interested in help-

ing, to which he replied that they would be happy to approach the club but wanted to make representation to the council first. Mr Grimwade said the company would be happy to negotiate on the future of the facilities. He said while the company is rationalis- - ing its operations to the mountain it wants to see the facilities maintained as at present and open for continued public use.