Promotion rate challenged

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 396, 23 July 1991, Page 5

Promotion rate challenged

A last-ditch effort was made to dump the new District Promotion Rate at last week's council Annual Plan meeting. When it came to the crunch and councillors were faced with an increase in general rates, Councillor Lawson moved that the new rate be deleted. The rate is to be levied on commercial and industrial properties in the district to pay for a marketing officer for the area. This rate would provide about 30 per cent of the promotion budget with the rest coming from general rates across the board. Mr Lawson said the council would be duplicating promotion activities and that it was up to groups like the Ruapehu South Business Assoc.iation and ProTaum to carry out the

work. Cr Eddie Turley said those two groups were working very hard to provide information and promotion services in the district and did not have the resources to promote the district out of the area. Mayor Garrick Workman said there were many activities in the district not being promoted outside. "A marketing person could bring in a lot of people to the area to take part in these activities," he said. The marketing officer would have a definite job description and a list of primary tasks to carry out, he said. "The question is 'do you believe in the area and is it worth promoting' and you've got to make that determination first and if you can't agree to that you

shouldn't be sitting here," said Cr Turley. "Look at Taupo - they're all of a sudden a ski town - that's with the efforts of a marketing officer." "There are times you have to spend money to make money and in order to get more money into the district you have to hire a professional," said Cr Sue Rodger. Cr Weston Kirton said he would feel more at ease agreeing to the rate if set terms of reference for the position were laid down and plans of what the person is likely to achieve set down. Cr Turley said that was fair comment but that the council was not at that point in a position to evaluate that situation. "Do we play cautious or do we stick our necks out and take a chance," he said. "There are ratepayers

out there hurting and while there are businesses whose rates have reduced they are still feeling a lot of financial pain," said Cr Lawson. The motion to scrap the promotion rate was lost, with Crs Kirton, Lawson, Murphy and Shaw voting for it and all others against. Following this debate Cr Cosford moved that King Country Energy, as one of the biggest beneficiaries of increased tourism, should be asked to contribute 50 per cent of the cost of a marketing officer. The council agreed unanimously to this action being taken.