Marketing manager support

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 406, 1 October 1991, Page 3

Marketing manager support

But special rate opinion split

"On behalf of the unemployed of the area I would like to move this meeting supports the council's action to employ a marketing manager for the Ruapehu District," said Kokiri Centre manager Moreen Hancock in putting a motion to last week's public meeting on the proposed appointment of a district marketing manager.

The motion was supported 33 votes to nine and followed much discussion on the proposal. The meeting was attended by several tourist related business operators, retailers, district councillors, individuals and community organisation representatives. "We are all talking about us, here and now," said Ruapehu councillor Ellen Gould, also Ohakune Primary School principal. "But what about jobs for the children here in the future. If we don't promote this area now there will be no future for them." Rate not well supported Support for the council's commercial and industrial rate to partly fund the promotion activities was not strong, with a 50-50 split when it was put to the vote. Several people present felt the rate was unfair in hitting commercial and industrial ratepayers twice for promotion, once through the general rate and once with the special rate. Councillor Don Lawson, who started the petition against the appointment and the special rate in Taumarunui, said he would be happy to support the appointment of the marketing

officer if a fairer method of funding the position was found. He said there were 160 signatures on his petition, and that there were many who were not paying the levy but were residential and farm land ratepayers. Job description Ruapehu mayor Garrick Workman outlined the job description of the proposed marketing manager position and the objectives the person would be charged with. He also explained the council's rationale in setting the special rate. The council did not want to increase the general rate, he said. They did not want to "sell off the family silver" to fund it, and they did not want to increase the Uniform Annual General Charge. The council looked to other districts who set commercial and industrial rates as a matter of course, without any special projects in mind, and decided on this method, said Mr Workman. "The only difference is that our commercial and industrial rate is for a specific purpose," he said. "Most other districts levy a commercial and industrial rate for no

other purpose than to boost the general rate." "I felt this rate was not going to cost an arm and a leg, it's only $55 per $10,000 of land value and while I know times are tough we did not feel this rate was too tough, especially in the Waimarino 's case were rates have come down." Facilitator Council general manager Cliff Houston said the council's role would be as facilitator and that eventually the position would become self funding and self generating. The special rate would not be an escalating amount, he said. The marketing manager would be charged with promoting all aspects of the district and not just tourism, he said. "We decided it was better to do something in these difficult times than not to do anything," said Mayor Workman. "If we don't do it (promote the Ruapehu District) no-one else will." Views vary Views put forward at the meeting included: • For true prosperity of ordinary people, not just tourist operators, a marketing manager needs to promote industry and jobs, not tourism; Tourism can have a detrimental effect. on a community unless it is wealthy enough to absorb the negative effects of tourism and that in this community the tourist industry should be levied to compensate people for the losses caused by tourism. ($iggy Bauer of. Raetihi) • The district needs a character like the Wizzard of Christchurch to put Ruapehu on the map for New Zealanders. • The job of marketing needs to be done properly; there have been many successes (eg Taranaki) but there have also been marketing flops (eg Northland); the district needs to learn to walk before it can run in terms of marketing; with $7.8 billion spent each year in the visitor industry, Ruapehu could benefit immensely just by getting people to turn off State Highway One and drive through the district; (Sue Allomes, Ruapehu South Business Association). • A business would be better off keeping the special rate money and promoting themselves; Turnpage 4

Marketing manager supported

From page 3 Business people need to compete on price and the special rate would have to be passed on to customers thus making them less competitive (Frank Stuckey, Raetihi panel beater). • There is spin-off

for everybody from tourism, including panel beaters when a visitor comes to town and has an accident and needs work done (Bob Graves - Raetihi camp proprietor). • The area suffers at present from 'small

mindedness' with businesses over-concerned about their own back yards and a marketing manager would bring everybody's efforts together for the benefit of the whole area; The marketing manager must be professional and

aggressive and win the confidence of Commercial ratepayers (Marshal Gebbie - National Park). • There were many inequities with the commercial rate, including empty commercial or industrial section owners paying the rate but gaining no benefit and people such as tradesmen who work from home not paying it, yet benefiting from promotion (Don Lawson - Taumarunui Councillor). • No matter how you fund it (promotion) someone is going to miss out and the council could never please everyone (Ces Goodwin, Raetihi). • Councillor Bill Peach, who operates a motel in Ohakune, said he has had times where they have turned people away from their motel and that if Taumarunui was promoted effectively motels there could also be full during the ski season. He said Raetihi does benefit from tourism, and cited a car load of people who travel to Ohakune to work in his motel every day. • Deputy mayor Weston Kirton said caution was needed and that marketing should possibly be started with consultants or part-time work. He said Taumarunui people feel they have had enough, already funding ProTaum and T aumarunui Development Incorporated. He. said he accepted the arguments for a marketing manager but that people were struggling. • Councillor Ken Malcolm said there was a feeling among people that the council was 'conned' into their decision. But he said they made the decision after careful deliberation and they were in no way 'conned'. General Manager Cliff Houston accepted there were commercial operators who would not be charged the special rate but said there was no legal way they could be levied. He said the council could only rate on the basis of land and all the suggestions of levies and bed taxes and tourist taxes, while possibly good ideas, could not be implemented because the law did not allow it at present. "We've got to make the best of the system we have," he said. "Someone is always offended. no matter what way you do it."