COUNCIL DECIDES TO CONSIDER PROPOSAL FOR NEW P.R. OFFICE

Taupo Times, Volume XIV, Issue 50, 29 June 1965, Page 5

COUNCIL DECIDES TO CONSIDER PROPOSAL FOR NEW P.R. OFFICE

A proposal to set up a new public relations office in Taupo is to be considered by the Taupo Borough CounciFs industrial promotions committee. The council decided this at its meeting last night when it heard submissions from a resident, Mr I. Couldrey, on a proposal to publicise Taupo at home and abroad.

Cr D. D. Davis, who is t'hairman of both the airport committee and the industrial promotions committee, said he had realised the need for such an organisation. The proposal by Mr Couldrey fitted in with the industrial promotions committee, which already had representatives of the Taupo Chamber of Commerce and the Taupo County Couneil on it. It would not be hard to co-opt representatives of tourism and other interested parties to the committee, said Cr Davis. With Taupo' s airport now operating, the council had to ensure it was used to the greatest extent possible. One of the first jobs of the committee would be to sit and consider the application. Mr Couldrey submitted that as the No. 1 tourist centre of New Zealand, Taupo desperately needed a good publicity and public relations service which could ! be operated without cost to the community. "I don't think anyone would argue with the statement that the opening of our airport will underline that need. "With the opening of Mangere International Airport at the end of the year there will be a great influx of tourists on the jet services and we must be geareci to ensure that we get our share of them," he said. "Our efforts must dovetail with those events to take advantage of the natural impetus they would provide." A public relations office must not only secure adequate publicity but also earn sufficient revenue to make it self-supporting. This would remove the necessity for seeking financial aid from local business con-

j cerns, he said. To achieve self-support | and the aims of the office he suggested the production of a booklet each year in which advertising could be sold to cover production cost, with income from book saies throughout the country. The booklets could also be distributed overseas and Air j New Zealand had offered to distribute them through iQantas and BOAC agents. j The provision of promotion material for the airways would ensure continuity and repetition of advertising. Mr Couldrey also said that the Government Tourist Department would back the scheme and had ; promised to distribute j booklets as far as Eng- | land. The National Pub- | licity Studios had already provlded material for the booklets. He estimated the revenue from saies would be a nett £3000, which would ~ more than cover the cost of maintaining a public relations office. He envisaged income from other sources, such as advertising and the building up of a public relations fund from other activities. 'v • • Internal airlines would welcome a central point with which to deal in promotion of tourism. With the opening of Mangere, this could become volume business, providing additional revenue for a public relations office.