OUR VIEW

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 409, 22 October 1991, Page 3

OUR VIEW

by

Robert

Milne

Congratulations to the recipients of the latest community awards, presented to groups and individuals who have contributed to the promotion of the southern Ruapehu area. This year's recipients are; the Raetihi Information Centre, the Ruapehu College for their National Secondary School Skiing Competition, the Ohakune Fire Brigade for their New Zealand Fire Fighters Ski Races, Andreas and Yvonne Hefti for the New Zealand Winter Games and the Main Trunk Rail Ohakune Inc for their Ohakune Junction Railway Station projects. There are no doubt many others who could easily qualify for recongition of some kind. An example of a group of volunteers whose efforts will go a long way to putting the southern Ruapehu on the map is MTRO Inc, who have quietly achieved a huge amount and in a very short time. Within the next 12 months they plan to have the Junction Station locomotive turntable operating again so that steam train excursions to the Waimarino can be run on a regular basis, their railway station building lessees will have finished their renovations, a signal box complete with signals machinery will hopefully be set up in front of the railway station, and the first stages of a railway village will be visible. A Junction businessman said recently that he believes this project will be the one thing that will increase the summer visitors to Ohakune. And once people corrie and experience the pleasures of the area in summer, they will be back more often. Last week's story about the setback for the group, (the Kapiti District Council stopped them from uplifting a Paekakariki signal box to bring to Ohakune), highlights the difficulties these kinds of groups face in their efforts to get their respective projects off the ground. Sometimes the biggest effort and the biggest worry is never seen or heard of. The negotiations that MTRO Inc have carried out to get the things they want must surely fall into this category, making their success even more deserving of recongition. Let's keep supporting people who get things done - people like the recipients of these awards.