Raetihi BNZ fate decided

Waimarino Bulletin, Issue 3, 5 August 1988, Page 3

Raetihi BNZ fate decided

The Bank of New Zealand has decided at last on the fate of its branches in Ohakune and Raetihi.

The main branch for the Waimarino is to be in Ohakune with an agency operating in Raetihi. Both present bank managers, Mr Basil Clement and Mr John Chittenden are to be transferred, and a new manager, Mr Richard Starke is to take up the position of Waimarino bank manager. Central Districts Manager Neville Butler told the Bulletin on Tuesday the reason the Raetihi branch would be downgraded to an agency was t h e prohibitively high cost of upgrading the bank's Raetihi building. The Seddon Street premises are over 100 years old, he said, and they need to b e replaced. He said the BNZ would maintain its representation well, with the agency providing banking facilities.

Customers would experience only minor inconvenience with the area's one bank manager based i n Ohakune, said Mr Butler. He said the manager would make himself available in Raetihi for customers, which means a .Raetihi customer can either arrange an appointment to see Mr Starke when the need arises or travel the short distance to Ohakune. Ohakune manager Basil Clement leaves for Waipukarau o n August 15 to manage the larger BNZ bank there and Raetihi manager John Chittenden will transfer at the end of the year. Mr Butler promises there will be no staff redundancies through the amalgamation, though he said there may be some staff number reduction through attrition. Mr Starke arrives

from Nelson o n Monday to begin the amalgamation process. Mr Butler said the BNZ did not see Raetihi as a depressed area and that the bank still has good business in the area. The whole area, Raetihi and Ohakune is one of our growth areas," said Mr Butler. Mr Clement said the area had more than

most in terms of economic future, with its tourism, market gardening, forestry, the mill and farming. Mr Butler added that domestic tourism should increase with personal spending u p through lowering of income taxes. He said there would be some customer resistance to the change, because they

were loosing some level of service, but that there would still be a high level of banking experience among the staff that man the Raetihi agency. Day to day services would be much the same as at present, he said. "Most customers don't see any problem with accessibility to the manager," said Mr Bu,ler- Turn page 8

BNZ fate From page 3 He said the t w o Waimarino branches were the closest of any rural branches the bank operated. The bank would look at moving the Raetihi agency to o t h e r premises at a later date, said Mr Butler. He said the present site was not an ideal location, being right at one end of the main street. Referring to the transfer of both present managers, Mr Butler said it was bank policy to move their managers every two or three y ears and that both managers had been in the Waimarino for about that time.