Ohakune Town Clerk resigns

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 5, 3 July 1984, Page 3

Ohakune Town Clerk resigns

Ohakune's Town Clerk for the past six years, Colin Turner, has resigned. The announcement was made following last month's meeting of the full Ohakune Council. His resignation was accepted with genuine regret by Council but he will be staying on until September so that the vacancy can be advertised and the position can be filled. And after that? Well Colin hasn't yet made up his mind nor has he decided if he will stay in Ohakune or not ... it just depends on what turns up, he said, last week. Colin has served in local authorities for a total of 20 years. A plumber by trade he started off in his home city of Wanganui as a trainee health inspector and remained there for three years. He then went to Hamilton and spent 13 years there, mostly as building and health inspector for the Waikato County but he also ventured into private business while living in Hamilton. In March 1978 Colin Turner was appointed to the Ohakune Borough Council to replace former town clerk, Andrew Cornwall.

At that time Ohakune was just beginning to emerge from its 'sleepy hollow' image as foresty and the skiing industry joined market gardening to become the

major employers of a young population that had previously been drifting away in search of work. Suddenly all was changed when the Winstone Samsung Mill of Karioi was established and AHI Turoa went ahead with their plans to develop a skifield at the top of the Ohakune Mountain Road. People began moving back to Ohakune, property values jumped, sections became scarce and the boom was on. Colin Turner arrived at this time and though he knew of and welcomed the challenge of being partr~of Ohakune's resurgence, he didn't realise at first what a total commitment it would be. Because of the way Ohakune has since develop-

ed, he became involved in a 7-day week. He is Town Clerk and Treasurer, Health Inspector, Building Inspector, Dangerous Goods Inspector and has the responsibility for running the office, the day-to-day employment and direction of indoor and outdoor staff, liaising with councillors, organising and attending committee and council meetings, preparing agendas, writing up minutes, fielding customer queries, answering town planning questions etc ... And, because of Ohakune's unusual building and development patterns, as building inspector he is often called out at weekends to approve work being done on holiday homes by weekend visitors and skiers. "The load is just too great for one person," said Mr Turner. "And if anything goes wrong with Council equipment at any time ... the washing machines at the Borough Motor Camp, ay burst water main, accidents within the borough ... I am usuailly involved." In the six years he has been Town Clerk, Ohakune has witnessed significant growth ... the value of building permits has amounted to a total of between $10-$ 12 million at the average rate of about $2,000,000 per year. But Colin feels that the Ohakune township has reached a very delicate 'balance point' in its history. He sees a 'flattening out' in the rate of development and he has noticed, after 5-6 years, the number of enquiries about businesses, properties, investment opportunities etc have begun to drop. Market values for sections and new spec houses are also beginning to level off and are taking longer to sell, he said. The number of permanent residents are now falling away again and many of the houses throughout town are reverting to holiday homes, lodges, chalets and the like. It's important for Ohakune that we have a good ski season this year he said as we stood in the warm winter sunshine under a clear blue sky.