RDC slashes $1.1m from '97 budget

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 683, 22 April 1997, Page 1

RDC slashes $1.1m from '97 budget

More than a million dollars has been slashed from the Ruapehu District Council's 1996/97 capital works programme, in response to the poor financial position that the council faces. This is on top of the $1.4 million for the district's Mainstreet projects which have been held over until next year. A number of projects have been deleted altogether, while others have been deferred. In other cases funds have been diverted to more essential projects. The Raetihi stormwater reticulation upgrade has been deferred because tenders are $190,000 more than estimated (see separate story). This saves $39,000 this year. A revised plan to upgrade the heating and air conditioning systems in the council's Taumarunui o'ffices will now see $70,000 of the $172,000 spent, saving $102,000. A tender for $51,000 has been accepted, $9000 had already been spent on the project, and $11 ,000 had been diverted to pay for work on the Waiouru public toilets. There was some debate on this matter, with Cr Graeme Cosford calling for the item to be deleted in total. However, his amendment was lost, with the council accepting that the present system was unacceptable and a new system would see iraproved productivity from staff, not having to endure extremes of temperatures. The council had an obligation to be a good employer, and also had to be mindful of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, said Cr Kevin Amohia, adding that if they did not upgrade the system they could face an industrial dispute. Ohakune works deleted inchided: Southridge Drive water main (saving $6000); fire hydrant Turoa Alpine Village ($2000); Rimu & Tyne streets footpaths ($46,000); Rimu Street water main ($ 1 8,000); water supply upgrade ($16,000). It was found that the Southridge Drive water main was adequate, and that the Turoa fire hydrant already exists. Raetihi works deleted included Makotuku Bridgeaccess ($25,000); Raetihi wetlands ($103,000); oxidation pond ($30,000 — the associated septage facility was considered urgent, so remains on the programme, costing $32,000); water treatment plant investigation ($22,000); Seddon Street footpath ($3000). Other items cut: Pipiriki toilets ($33,000); Pipiriki wetlands ($14,000); esplanade purchases ($15,000). The Makotuku Bridge, Raetihi, budget was for council's share of providing access to land north of the stream, but councillors were informed that the council had not heard from the landowners as to what their input would be, "so it.seems the matter has gone away". The move to delete the Raetihi wetlands was queried, with Cr Warren Furner asking how the ponds were presently performing. Services engineer Gordon Gillespie said the effluent from the ponds was of a higher quality than the water upstream from the outfall. He said the local iwi wanted the wetlands but were happy to see it put off until the resource consent comes up for renewal in 2003.