Houston 'boxing at shadows'

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 414, 26 November 1991, Page 7

Houston 'boxing at shadows'

Council general manager Cliff Houston said he felt as if he were "boxing at shadows" at the recent Waimarino community board meeting. He was answering complaints from board member Bruce Thompson who said many of the board's concerns were not being followed up. ' Although we make a lot of noise down here it is still very hard to be heard," said Mr Thompson. He said the board called for reports and made recommendations but "don't ever hear of them again". "There are truckloads of people coming down from Taumarunui to mow our grass on Saturdays. That is revenue going out of our area. Yet I've asked on a Saturday to get something cleaned up and there is no-one around." "I feel as if I am boxing at shadows," said Mr Houston. "I honestly feel such criticism is unfair." He said the board had an input into the works programme and said he had not had any calls to see what could be done about particular concerns. "The systems are there. There are a number of avenues - I can't accept this general assertion of the 'voice in the wilderness and nothing gets done*. It's not true," he said. He said the council was working with a tight budget yet the council was still expected to do more, and that inflation still existed to push up costs. Councillor Ellen Gould said all her concerns had been attended to promptly when she approached council staff.