$25,000 for visitor centre

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 431, 7 April 1992, Page 8

$25,000 for visitor centre

by

JULIE

NATION

Members of the Waimarino Community Board last week pledged their support to helping the Ruapehu South Business Association out of a pressing financial jam. The board will recommend that the Ruapehu District Council make a payment of $25,000 to the R.S.B.A to cover debts incurred over the last two years by the Ruapehu South Visitor Centre. Board members heard that the Centre had shown a loss of around $12,000 per year, due primarily to last year's Winter Games loss and over-expenditure on

building maintenance and improvements. Building expenses amounted to approximately 30 per cent more than funding allocations per year. Waimarino Community Board member Bill Peach urged other mem-

bers to support the association. "We must make this grant to get them out of a jam," he said. "It could get to the stage where the centre may not be able to continue." Mayor Garrick Workman said investigations

were vmderway to derive funds from an outside source. If successful it would immediately solve the problem of funding, he said. Another option under consideration is combining the Ruapehu District Council service centre

and the Information Centre. "At this stage there is still the requirement to assist the Ruapehu South Businessmens Association", he said. Board member Ellen

Gould endorsed her support of the grant by praising the Centre's staff. "The staff do an excellent job, but fighting this financial worry is a concern and isn't letting them get on

with what needs to be done", she said. The Community Board will recommend to Council that a payment of $25,000, payable from the General Reserves Fund, be made to the Ruapehu South Business Association.