RAETIHI BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 38, 13 March 1984, Page 6

RAETIHI BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

At last week's meeting of the Raetihi Borough Council a proposal that is almost bound to result in a controversial public debate was adopted for consideration during the 1984-85 financial year. Cr. Cornwall introduced a motion: "that the Council require the Works Committee to obtain costings, and the Finance Committee to include those costings as part of the Annual Estimates for the flurodation of the Borough water supply." In speaking to this proposal Cr. Cornwall said that flurodation was a wellproven and widely-accepted public health measure which

was not expensive to maintain and which would benefit the younger generation in particular. It was something the Council should address itself too, he said. Cr. Compton said that he could foresee a few problems ahead. He knew that there were various health lobby groups around — "sometimes referred to as health freaks" — that would object to any additives to a natural resource. Cr. Punch said that he remembered a similar motion being proposed several years ago but being defeated when it came to the vote. Anyway, he said, most of

the flouride treated water would be wasted on gardens, irrigation schemes, toilets and domestic appliances such as washing machines, while the rest would just be flushed away down the town's drains. Mayor Workman said that he realised that this issue would generate a lot of heated debate and that it may be better to leave it to the individual ratepayer. "After afl," he said, "flouride tablets are readily available to those ratepayers wanting to ensure the dental health care of their children." In his reply Cr. Cornwall said that by adopting this motion council was not committing itself to a flouridation scheme at this stage but it would enable the council to make a decision in the future. ★ ★ ★ A decision has yet to be made as to how a grour^k depression on the easten^P side of town is to be filled. This depression on the southern side of the RaetihiOhakune Road and near the Makotutu River Bridge could be filled in either with solid fill or with water to create an artificial lake. Mayor Workman said that since beautification had already started in the ar6a it would be preferable though not imperative to complete the tidying up job before winter. But, as no estimates of comparative cost had been received no final decision could be made. Cr. Pehi, who lives nearby, said that he would like to be involved in the decision and expressed jjBk opinion that whatever decided it was too big a project to complete before winter. ★ ★ ★ A system of 'completion' certificates was proposed by Cr. Cornwall for all new

buildings which had earlier received building and health department permits to begin work. He felt that these certificates should only be issued when the building and health permits had been fulfilled and prior to occupancy of the dwelling in tha same way as electrical work is checked out before power is switched on. This would assure the owner/occupier that all work had been completed to the standards required by the earlier permits. ★ ★ ★ Mayor Workman told councillors that it was important to urge as many people as possible in the Waimarino to make use of the local hospital facility at Raetihi — particularly the obstetric services. Unless Waimarino residents support the local hospital the subsidy could be affected. Every patient lost to Taumarunui hospital might result in a downgrad■ng of hospital facilities at ^Raetihi. ★ ★ ★ Cr. Summerhays said that the Raetihi settling ponds had been designed to provide a service to residents in the Raetihi Borough and were not designed to cope with the additional sewage brought in from outlying septic tanks by contractors. Cr. Cornwall suggested that the council should merely provide the site for a pit to accommodate the extra sewage effluent and make the contractor responsible for all development costs, maintenance and access. Cr. Summerhays pointed ^put that one truck load of ■iwage was about equivalent To the effluent from 1000 people ... "the ponds were designed for the ratepayers of Raetihi." The alternative was to feed the extra effluent into the existing sewage system using a 'slow-reform' rate

but this was expensive and difficult to monitor, he said. Any such pit as proposed would be subject to Health Department and Catchment Board control and surveillance. ★ ★ ★ Council decided to check their files and write to all ratepayers who were not yet connected to the main sewage system. Mayor Workman said the borough has spent 'thousands of dollars' in providing this service and to make it work efficiently everyone within the borough should be connected up. If cost was a factor discouraging some ratepayers who had septic tanks that were working efficiently it was pointed out that application for connection permits cost nothing, the work does not have to be completed immediately and council may be prepared to help financially. ★ ★ ★ Mayor Workman reported that he had written to the Minister of Recreation and

Sport prior to Christmas asking if the Sports Foundation could help a local athlete — Siegfried Mayor Workman said that he was disappointed with the reply he had received from the government. ★ ★ ★ The Raetihi Swimming Baths is the only local sports and recreational facility in Raetihi likely to benefit from next year's grant from the NZ Lottery Board. This will be for a cover for the pool to make it a year-round amenity. It had been expected that both the local library and motor camp may also have benefited but their applications and supporting research reports were not ready in time. ★ * ★ A decision was made to leave the 'Town Green' recreational and play area in Seddon Street 'as is' until 'something better' turned up. Meanwhile a 'modest' development will be allowed.