Ruapehu rural roads reply

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 15, Issue 691, 17 June 1997, Page 2

Ruapehu rural roads reply

The following is a reply to James Creedmore's letter, 'Crotons Road already expensive' , in the Ruapehu Bulletin, 10 June, by Ruapehu District Council acting chief executive Chris Ryan: • The figures quoted by your correspondent appear to be quite arbitrary and unsupported in detail. Remote rural roads present very special problems for Council because of the quality of the original basic formation and their isolation. It should be pointed out that Transit New Zealand no longer has any association with Council' s roads. Transit New Zealand is the road controlling authority for the state highway network throughout New Zealand. The funding organisation, which acts in partnership with Council, is Transfund New Zealand. The Transfund Audit Team visited the Ruapehu district in May 1997 and concluded that the Council' s level of roading maintenance was appropriate. I think the important issue to note here is that clearly the

Ruapehu District Council is not in business. No business could survive working in the environment that Council, by statute, is obliged to follow. The Council is a public sector organisation which is dedicated to the provision of long term infrastructural assets. Those assets must be created and maintained in situations where a valid profit-based business case simply can not and would not apply. Any capital investment made by the council in roading improvements is measured against a useful life in excess of 20 years. To consider any expenditure in that context obviously gives the lie to the inference your correspondent is intending to create. It is worth noting here that Crotons Road was last inspected by Council staff on 5 June and the road was found to be in a very satisfactory condition appropriate to its intended use.

Chris

Ryan

■Ruapehu District Council acting CEO