Letters to Editor

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 6, 12 July 1983, Page 11

Letters to Editor

Ski Hire Ohakune Borough Coiincil has recently advertised a proposed change to the town plan to ban ski hires from the main business area of the town, on the grounds of 'traffic problems'. It is strange that none of the businesses close to the three existing ski hires have any complaints, and in fact the local Traffic Officer has never received a complaint from any source, regarding traffic flow or parking relating to ski hires. This is hardly suprising. About 600 skiers' cars a day drive through Ohakune and up the Mountain Road, Spread over three hours, that is 200 cars an hour. Even if this number was to double in the future, the roads will still only be running at close to half of their maximum capacity of over 700 cars an hour for a single lane. (12 cars per minute). This is a routine flow on city streets. Turoa Skifield research has shown that 40% of skiers hire skis. This means that just over half of the ^us will stop at a ski hire. hire is usually the first stop in the town, as it is the most time consuming, taking 20 to 30 minutes when there are queues. While some of the occupants of the car are hiring, the others will be browsing at the nearby shops, and spending dollars. It is unlikely that they will climb back into their car and drive to another part of town before gbing skiing, as they are naturally in a hurry to beat the rush. If the Council succeeds in its plan to ban hires from the central shopping area of town, the Junction is the only alternative for them to be built. That will mean that very few of the cars which, with hire customers, will stop in the centre of town, so at least «f of the potential tomers of shops such as the supermarket, the bOokshop, the wine shop, the clothing shops, and the fast food shops, will be shopping at the Junction, and duplicate shops will have to be built there or the town will not be able to provide the services required when and where skiers want them. If skier facilities are to be kept out of the central shopping area, skiers will also be kept out, and the existing shops will lose the opportunity to benefit from the increased visitors to our town while still having to suffer the disadvantages. If the intention of the Council is to down grade the central shopping area, and disadvantage the businessmen who have worked to make it viable, I can not think of a better wav to achieve it. If

their. aim is to alleviate an extremely minor increase in traffic movements through an area with plenty of parking, and very little traffic other than skiers cars, surely they can come up with a better suggestion than directing more cars to the Junction . . . an area that is already complete chaos on weekends. Ohakune must be the only town in NZ to treat ski hire as anything different from what it is. A legitimate commercial activity that firmly belongs in the com- _ mercial area, with which it is completely compatible, and on which it confers the benefit of increased casual trade. I would like to hear what the town planning consultant employed by the Council has to say on this issue, or whether the Council has even bothered to consult him. If he opposes the Council move, why does the Council continue to squander ratepayers money buying advice which they then ignore. If he supports the Council move, it is time the ratepayers demand an explanation from Council as to why they continue to employ a consultant whose main aim in life seems to be to mount a direct assault on the viability of the central shopping area. Ohakune does not exist in a vacuum. For the last 20 years, the visionaries of the district have been working very hard to encourage the growth of Turoa skifield to the standard we see today. The fact that all the skifield traffic would have to pass through town certainly did not escape them, nor did the fact that increased business opportunities would enhance the quality and variety of service available to locals. For the skifield and town to reach their full potential together, skiers needs must be catered for. If they are not, Ohakune will become less attractive as a place to come for a holiday, and the whole tourist industry will suffer in the town. The Ohakune town plan states that the Commercial area is created to cater for the needs of the resident and visiting public. Let us stop this nonsense of trying to prevent the central area catering for skiers, and let the business community get on with serving the needs of everyone who comes to Ohakune, thus benefitting the whole town, and gaining the rewards they have earned by providing a service through the lean years of the recent past. It is time that the heavy hand of local government in Ohakune started serving the ratepayers again rather than some esoteric theory that helps nobody.

Ian

F.

Heappey