Water plant fixed 'Heath Robinson' style

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 582, 18 April 1995, Page 1

Water plant fixed 'Heath Robinson' style

"Heath Robinson standard" is how some people have described the modifications to the Ohakune water treatment plant to overcome its many and varied teething problems, Ruapehu District Council engineer Peter Jackson told the council at their recent annual planning meeting. He said the description was "not an original statement". "In our view the contractors haven't satisfied the terms of the contract. We believe they are capable of making it (the Ohakune Water Treatment Plant) work," he told councillors. The council is taking the matter to conciliation to sort the problem out. "At the moment we are at loggerheads with the contractor." Mr Jackson said the council was still holding

back bond and retentions monies in relation to the contract. "There is a real desire to sort this problem out." In his commentary on the draft annual plan, Council chief executive Cliff Houston said it was expected that the total operating expenditure in the 1996/97 and the 1997/98 years would increase to $310,000 and $323,000. "It is anticipated however that the resolution of the operating problems of the plant will significantly reduce these estimates." Births, deaths and marriages In other discussion at the annual plan meeting, the council decided it should subsidise the Births, Deaths and Marriages register, to be relocated to the Raetihi service centre. The council heard that

the cost of operating the agency had risen by $6000 for the 1995/96 year, but that "the Justuce Department is not in a position to increase compensation to the council." However, rather than cut the serv-

ice, which would mean the people of the Waimarino would have to travel out of the area, they decided that the service was essential and the council should subsidise it.