Council business

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 393, 2 July 1991, Page 10

Council business

The Ruapehu District Council has joined the competitive commercial world with the formation of a company to carry out various works in the district, and immediately came up against a moral dilemma. At their last meeting the council discussed the new company tendering for state highway work, in competition with Works Corporation, with some councillors expressing the fear that if the company were successful, it could jeopardize the local Works group and affect the employment of the staff. Counter to that, some

councillors said later, when council work is tendered, the situation could be reversed and Works would be competing for council work and thus threatening council staff employment. "It's dog eat dog," said Cr Lawson. Another concern with the formation of the company was Cr Murphy's view that the directors of the company should be councillors. "We own it, we should be represented," he said. "We're here to do a job and we should be allowed to be directors." Cr Bill Peach said the whole idea of Transit

New Zealand was that commercial justice be done and also be seen to be done, with independent directors appointed. The directors of the company will be: Andrew Hema (Serco operations manager, Waiouru), Cliff Houston (council general manager, Taumarunui), Staart Hunter (retired, Piriaka), Christopher Lester (director/manager with MAF, Taumarunui), Terry Podmore (real estate salesman, Taumarunui), Garrick Workman (mayor, Raetihi).