OHAKUNE BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 40, 27 March 1984, Page 6

OHAKUNE BOROUGH COUNCIL NEWS

At this month's meeting of the Ohakune Borough Council the following matters were considered. ★ ★ ★ The proposal to develop part of Jubilee Park as a. sports and recreational area was given the go-ahead when council agreed in principle to leasing the area to an Auckland company, Victoria Park Market. Mr John St. Clair Brown, director of the Auckland company, has been negotiating with the Ohakune Borough Council about this site and the amenities planned for it since the middle of last year. These proposed amenities include an ice-skating rink, squash courts, up-grading of the swimming pool, allweather tennis courts, a mini putt-putt golf course, plunge pool and a club house to accommodate various indoor sporting activities. At this month's meeting a letter from Mr St. Clair Brown was received which provided further details about the proposed method of financing the project and asked council for a 50-year lease so that development could commence as soon as possible. "We are concerned to make as much progress as possible priorto the 1984 ski season," he said. The company has appointed Mr Andreas Hefti

of Ohakune as their local representative. In agreeing in principle to the proposal of leasing the Jubilee Park area, the council stipulated that the following sanctions and. agreements be obtained prior to proceeding any further with the proposal. • That a public notice be placed in the local newspaper advising the general public of Council's intention regarding the leasing of this reserve. • That the sanction of the Minister of Lands be obtained. • That a lease be drawn up satisfactory to both parties. • That a detailed proposal of works to be carried out on this reserve be submitted to the Minister for his approval. The Mayor said that the essence of this recommendation was to allow the rnatter to proceed. ★ ★ ★ The future fate of the two railway bridges, No's 167 and 1 68, and of a water main attached to the side of Bridge 168 was discussed by Council following a letter from their solicitors to the District Engineer of New Zealand Railway s in Wanganui. Both existing bridges are scheduled for demolition but the materials, including the precast concrete decking from Bridge 168 are to be used in rebuilding a new bridge 167 to carry market garden and other traffic between Upper Thames Street/ Soldiers Road and Ruapehu/Dreadnought Roads.

The question of what happens to and who pays for the watermain attached to Bridge 168 (the middle one) to be relocated is concerning the council. The New Zealand Railways Corporation believe it to be the Council's responsibility to re-locate the main at it's own cost. However, according to the Council's legal advisors, Payne Sewell and Partners, it is the Corporation's responsibility as defined by Section 170 ( l)-(3) of the Public Works Act 1981. As the Corporation plans to proceed almost immediately with the demolition of these two bridges Council decided to call a special committee of the Works Committee with power to act if an urgent meeting is necessary. ★ ★ ★ There were no building permits issued in February this year compared with the^^ February 1983 figure seven. The total value of permits issued so far this financial year stands at $1,343,585 which is down on last year when the figure stood at $1-, 752,1 09. However, the lack of building permits last month was not due to a slump but to staffing factors which meant that the applications couldn't be processed. The value of building permit applications still to be processed will probably bring the total issued this year to about the same as last year, said Ohakune's Town Clerk, Colin Turner. ★ ★ ★ The mayor, Mr BU^ Taylor, thanked members^^ the finance committee, coun-

cillors and the town clerk for the 'outstanding job' they had done to ensure the success of last month's Naval Charter Parade for the ship's company of HMNZS Irirangi. Mr Taylor also reminded councillors that Ohakune was formally established as a township in 1911 and would be celebrating its 75th anniversary in 1986. ★ ★ ★ The question of alterations to the pensioner flats in Moore Street was considered but the Town Clerk advised the Town Planning Committee that the Housing Corporation had no funds available for the building of new pensioner units or alterations to existing ones. ★ ★ ★ Despite extensive work and a substantial amount of money expended on stormwater drains in Ohakune's central shopping area last year, flash floods could still pose a problem for the Dalgety Crown's premises an the corner of Goldfinch nd Ayr Streets. This was council's reply to a letter received from Mr Jonathon Gregg, manager of the Ohakune branch of Dalgety Crown, reporting that his premises have been flooded on three previous occasions, the last being on . 18 February this year. Council assured Mr Gregg that their staff will endeavour to keep the sump

gratings and guttering in this area clear at all times but flash floods could still occur with sudden torrential downpours and no allowance could be made for this eventuality. ★ ★ ★ Council has agreed to the installation of more seating in and around the commercial shopping and other areas around town. Since the Ruapehu Lions Club have indicated an interest in this project, Council has asked the Town Clerk to liaise with the Club as to the number and positions of this seating. ★ ★ ★ Ohakune's Motor Camp fee's have been increased by $1 per night to $7 for two adults. Ground rent charges for storage of caravans on site have also been increased by $1 from $2 to $3 per week. The reasons for the increase are the very high power bills in the caravan park throughout the winter months combined with the in_crease in power charges. The camp is already fully booked for most of the 1984 ski season. ★ ★ ★ Ohakune is pay $2369 as its contribution to the Wanganui United Council this year. For its two forest projects the payments will be $887 for the Te Aro To Waka block and $770 towards the Tauwhare block.