Road swap for water site?

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 407, 8 October 1991, Page 1

Road swap for water site?

Trading a council road for use of a site at the Mangawhero Camp for the Ohakune water treatment plant was hinted at during last Thursday's Waimarino Community Board meeting. Cr Bill Peach suggested the trade-off during a discussion on the

legal status of the Mangapurua Valley Road, in the Whanganui National Park. Earlier, Winston Oliver had asked about the status of the road, and the legality of the Department of Conservation stopping access to certain users and charging commercial

operators for using the road. While a report said the Waimarino County Council had agreed to the closure of the legal road about four years ago, board members Winston Oliver and Doug Bennett said they were sure that the road closure had never been advertised and therefore could not be legal. Mr Oliver said the physical road had been closed only a few months ago. Board member Bill Peach suggested if it was Turnpage 2

Water - road swap

From page 1 in DoC's interest to have the road closed, and if the council was yet to formally close the road, then the council may be able to negotiate with DoC over the Ohakune water treatment plant site. "Surely this could be a case of quid pro quo," said Mr Peach. "Surely if it is in DoC's interest to have the road closed, and it's in the council's interests to site the water

treatment plant at Mangawhero Camp - it's got to cut both ways." "The public want to know, can they take a horse or a motorbike onto the road and has DoC got the right to charge people to use the road," said Mr Oliver. Council general manager Cliff Houston said there was obviously some doubt about the situation and that he would personally re- I search the issue.