Council to look wider for complex site

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 584, 2 May 1995, Page 3

Council to look wider for complex site

The idea of a single Ohakune council complex found favour with Ruapehu District Councillors last Friday, but they chose to call for investigation of other possible sites as well as the ex-Turoa offices in Clyde Street. Mayor Garrick Workman said there was some concern in the community at a possible move to the Turoa site and that it may be prudent to also call for a report on the suitability of the present visitor centre site also. Property officer Allan Low said the information centre site, opposite Goldfinch Street, was a very small piece of land, comprising a piece of closed road. They couldn't build anything large enough there, he told councillors. Council chief executive Cliff Houston said no other sites had come to light as yet because of the "spatial

constraints". He said there was a lot of off-street parking available at the Turoa site. Mr Low said the Turoa office would need very little alteration to meet the needs of the staff. He said it would need refurbishment to bring it to "corporate standard"s. Mr Houston said if they were to relocate their offices, there was "more than one potential buyer for the Miro Street building". Councillors felt that most people supported the idea of a complex, but that there was some debate over a suitable site. It was suggested that more commercial activity could be drawn to that end of town by the establishment of a complex at the Turoa site.