Roads' Board visit a 'waste of time'

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 2, 4 June 1985, Page 1

Roads' Board visit a 'waste of time'

The recent visit to the Ruapehu region by National Roads' Board members was "one of life's greatest examples of a waste of time," claims Raetihi Borough Councillor, Andrew Cornwall.

Cr. Cornwall expressed his concern at the way the tour had been conducted at Wednesday's monthly public meeting of the council.

The NRB members visited the region on 21st and 22nd May to inspect roads and hear submissions from Ohakune Borough Council,

Raetihi Borough Council and Waimarino County Council. However, Cr. Cornwall claimed things started to go wrong on the evening of Tuesday 21st May when NRB members were due to meet members of the three local authorities for a social

function at the Ohakune Club. Cr. Cornwall said he arrived at the scheduled time of 7.30pm but theNRB members didn't turn up until 8.25pm after taking "a very leisurely meal" in an Ohakune restaurant. He added that he had been told on very good authority that members of the NRB had said during their meal that there was no need to rush to get to the social function. The following day the NRB members were almost an hour late meeting the local authority representaiives and when they did arrive they "stifled discussion altogether." Deputy Mayor of Raetihi, John Compton, agreed that the local authorities had had "a raw deal." He added that some of the comments made to local council representatives had been made "over the shoulders of departing Roads' Board members." Cr. Cornwall said, "The visit makes a mockery of everything they've said about making themselves available to use." A scheduled discussions between NRB members and Raetihi Borough and Waimarino County Councillors lasted only 25 minutes rather than the planned 45 minutes, he added. Continued on page 2

NRB visit

Continued from page 1 Mayor of Raetihi, Garrick Workman, who was out of the country at the time of the visit, said he had heard from other councillors and the Town Clerk about the "offhand treatment" of councillors by members of the NRB. The Mayor, who j& the representative for Raetihi, Ohakune and Taihape on the No. 8 District Roads' Council, said he would raise the matter at the next District Council meeting.