Army wants value

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 245, 8 June 1988, Page 1

Army wants value

More value fortaxpayers' dollars is the bottom line when it comes to the Defence Department's choice between the Rangitikei District Council and the Waimarino District Council.

This was the message for the council from Colonel Brett Bestic, Commander of Army Training Group Waiouru, at last week's full council meeting. He told the meeting that the Ministry o f Defence was going through "an overhaul" and part of that process

was a financial check of defence spending. Colonel Bestic repeatedly stressed that the Army had no argument with Rangitikei and that the discussion with the Waimarino District Council o n possible boundary changes to include part or all of the Waiouru

defence land in the Waimarino District was "entirely exploratory". "The main point is that one council or other has a lot to gain, and the real issue i s money," he said. "My concem is to get the best value for money for the taxpayer, and that's a polite way of saying 'if you've got a better deal then let's hear it'," said Colonel Bestic. "I speak in a spirit of review rather than

wishing to claim that we haven't jhad a fair deal," he said. He was not representing the department or the minister but was acting in his capacity as the chairman of the Waiouru Advisory Council. Colonel Bestic quoted figures on the breakdown of Waiouru defence land as background information for councillors. Defence land is divided 15 per cent in

Taupo County, 7 per cent in the Waimarino and 78 percent in Rangitikei, he said. $177,566 was paid to as grants in lieu of rates last year with 89.6 per cent of that going to Rangitikei. A switch for Waiouru to the Waimarino would nearly double t h e population of the district. Colonel Bestic said the Army provided most of its own ser-

Army wants value

From page 1 vices such as water, sewerage and roading. The Army contracts to the Rangitikei County Council to provide the eivilian areas o f Waiouru with services. Colonel Bestic said if there were to be any boundary changes then there were three options. A change that would just include the population areas, a change that would just include the unpopulated land, or a change to include both. Mayor Garrick Workman followed the colonel's address by saying it was timely to look at the proposal in

view of the Local Government Commission's review of the Rangitikei area. From the discussion with councillors that followed came comments that Waiouru had strong recreational, commercial and social ties with Ohakune and Raetihi and that there were ample historic reasons for a shift. Colonel Bestic said the final decision o n the matter from the Army's point of view would be made by the Defence Department. The council moved to hold a public meeting in Waiouru at a date after a further council meeting to discuss that matter.