Ohakune baths lease hitch

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 19, 7 October 1986, Page 1

Ohakune baths lease hitch

The Ohakune Borough Council has been told by the Department of Lands and Survey that its decision to terminate the lease held by Victoria Park Markets Ltd on the Jubilee Park area and swimming baths may be premature. The Auckland company took up the lease some time ago with the intention of upgrading recreation facilities in the area. This included construction of an ice skating rink, and heating and covering the swimming pool. Now about two years later, no progress has been made in the development and the council recently decided to inform the company that it wished to terminate the lease. The letter received from the department however informed the council that it may be too soon to consider termination. "Such action needs to be clearly justified and should be on reasonable terms,"the letter said. It went on to say that before any action could be taken, the company's response and explanation would have to be taken into consideration. "It will be important for council to show that the delay is unexplained." "Further actual breach of the lease will need to be clearly established as, for example, the lease itself does not specifically commit the lessee to a timetabled development plan." The council will discuss the matter at its next full meeting on 9 October.