Council may consider loan for bank

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 488, 1 June 1993, Page 7

Council may consider loan for bank

At last week's Ruapehu District Council meeting in Ohakune, Councillor Bob Vine raised the possibility of Council providing some financial assistance towards the re-location of Waiouru's Westpac Bank from the Community Centre to the main road (SH1) on the southern boundary of Waiouru township. The former Defence

Department building was removed from the Camp area where it previously served as headquarters for Regular Force Company's Waiouru Training Depot (see last week's Bulletin). The building, donated by Defence, is now sitting on a corner site between the Shell Service Station and the QEII Army Memorial Museum.

Councillor Vine explained that Westpac had earlier come to Waiouru's rescue when the Bank of New Zealand "took up and left Waiouru with only a week's notice." "This left us with only Post Bank in the Community Centre but there is no guarantee that they will stay given the fact that NZ Post also 'shot through' at short notice."

He pointed out that Westpac wanted to make the move to the Waiouru township in order to raise its profile, not only to cater for that community but also to draw the attention of travellers on the main road to the fact that there were banking facilities in the area. There was nothing else between Taihape, Ohakune and Turangi. "If Postbank pulls out

and if Westpac isn't viable the entire Waiouru community will be left with no choice but to travel to Ohakune or Taihape to bank", he said. It was for this reason he was asking RDC for some help with the transportation and reconnection costs associated with the re-location of the building. Mayor Garrick

Workman said that while he appreciated the (potential) problem faced by the residents of Waiouru - "where services have been withdrawn from a community it is very difficult to appreciate the problem until it actually happens to you" - he wondered if it was appropriate for Council to help fund a commercial operation. Chief executive Cliff

Houston also said that he "would have some difficulty subsidising a trading bank." Cr Weston Kirton suggested the answer may be to offer assistance in the form of a loan. It was decided to raise the matter again at a later date after the matter had been referred back to the Waiouru community board.