Council marketing budget up by $44,000

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 538, 31 May 1994, Page 6

Council marketing budget up by $44,000

The budget for district marketing for the 1994/95 financial year has been increased by $44,000 over the previous financial year. Of this sum $34,000 is for increased support costs across the entire marketing budget including the operation of the two information centres, the Ruapehu Information Centre in Ohakune and Protaum in Taumarunui. The balanceof$ 10,000 will enable a tourism research monitor to be implemented while expenditure on miscellaneous promotional activities has decreased from $23,000 to $17,000. Contributions have also been allocated for other organisations. A grant of $17,600 (of which $10,000 is for rent) has been recommended for Taumarunui Development Incorporated and a sum of

$10,800 has been recommended for Raetihi Promotions by the Ruapehu District Council Marketing subcommittee. A further sum of $8200 has been allocated to offset the costs associated with the administration of: Keep Taumarunui Beautiful Society ; Ruapehu South Business Association; Promotion Taumarunui; Waiouru Promotions; Taumarunui Arts Council.

Councillor Weston Kirton (Taumarunui) asked: "Can we establish the actual results of (spending money on) marketing... it is difficultto seethebenefits." Ruapehu District Council marketing manager Bruce Rollinson said this would be done through the visitor monitor (due to be in place by 1 July) and all marketing compaigns will in future be monitored. Tourism was also being

publicised through seminars and trade shows, he said. Mayor Garrick Workman said that, while he hadn'tyet finalised hisideas on the subject, it was his intentiOn to use the services of Bruce Rollinson and his marketing team to promote the use of Taumarunui Hospital in order to increase the use of its facilities, staff etc and thus improve the employment situation there.