Council fears local 'ghetto'

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 39, 20 March 1984, Page 1

Council fears local 'ghetto'

At last week's meeting of the Ohakune Borough Council the mayor, Mr Bill Taylor, issued a statement strongly criticising New Zealand Railways for the manner in which they were disposing of surplus railway housing stock in the Egmont Street/ Ruapehu Road area of the town. "It ottends on two grounds," the statement said. j^B-irstly, and primarily, it felt that the drastic shortage, if not complete absence, of cheap rental housing within the town indicates that local people with a demonstrated housing need might, in some way, have been housed in these properties. Approaches from local people seeking my assistance to secure housing are constant. Railways refuse to consider a simple, local rental ituation as an alternative form of using these houses. And nothing would have

been a simpler or more effective use of these properties. Which leads us to the second ground upon which their procedurds in this matter offends. When New Zealand Railways decided to rid themselves of these houses Council made their position abundantly clear: should the properties be advertised for sale by tender in no way would Council agree to them remaining 'on site' and tender documents carried a rider stating that the permission of the local council for occupation on site must be sought. The reason for this requirement was made abundantly clear to New Zealand Railways: in no way did the Ohakune Borough Council want to create a ghetto of cheap, poorly maintained winteronly ski accommodation units. Sufficient scope already exists in this Borough for out-of-town people to purchase or

develop purpose-built winter accommodation. Council's worst fears have been fully realised. Those properties already disposed of have gone to consortiums of city ski folk. Council's requirement in regard to removal from the site has been flagrantly ignored by Railways. Ten year leases of the properties have been entered into at a delightfully low ground rent of $690 per annum. Cheap accommodation has been provided to those who least need it. Railways' handling of the whole matter is an absolute disgrace and it is to be hoped that, as further properties are disposed of by the Corporation, greater regard may be paid both to the common good and to the advice of the local authority. Scandalous disregard on both these grounds has been blatant. Council has no intention of letting this matter rest."