Investment in Ourselves Key to Our Future

Ruapehu District Council is currently asking the community to consider two significant proposals seen as necessary to supporting Ruapehu’s economic and community development.

They are to re-direct money into economic development and develop a multi-purpose community facility in Ohakune.

Mayor Don Cameron said that Ruapehu has been underperforming economically leading to decreasing opportunities for all who live here.

“For some time we have had an ageing and declining population, employment and investment which we desperately need to turn around,” he said.

“Although these trends have been driven by global factors largely outside our control they have impacted on our traditional job creators which in Ruapehu’s case was agriculture and its supporting services.”

“This has required Council to rethink our approach to economic and community development.”

“A key part of this is ensuring that our organisations and facilities are properly resourced and have what they need to do the job expected of them.”

Mayor Cameron said that the Manawatu-Whanganui Regional Growth Study (which includes Ruapehu) identified eight significant opportunities for enhancing regional growth and prosperity.

“In Ruapehu tourism and visitor services were identified as offering the best prospects for increasing investment, employment and incomes in the short to medium term.”

“The Growth Study has now evolved into a Regional Action Plan programme called Accelerate25 that is working with stakeholders to develop the growth opportunities.”

“As part of this process Council has been leading a Tourism Project Group made up of key industry operators to develop ideas that can be taken to government to see where they can partner with our Regional Tourism Organisation Visit Ruapehu.”

“It is important to note that government investment is dependent on Ruapehu investment,” he said.

“Council’s proposal to re-direct spending to economic development is necessary to allow us to take advantage of these co-investment opportunities.”

“In Ohākune the proposal to develop a multi-purpose community facility has been driven by increased demands on the current service centre in both volume and for new and evolving services.”

“Council has considered a wide range of other options for resolving these issues but has concluded that the proposed development is the best long term solution for Ohākune and Ruapehu’s future needs.”

Mayor Cameron added that it is clear that the option of allowing ourselves to drift in terms of economic development activity and the provision of key infrastructure is just not viable if we want to increase investment, employment and incomes in Ruapehu.

“Please go to council’s website www.ruapehudc.govt.nz, or pick up a Consultation Document from your local council office, and find out more about these issues and let us know your views on them.”

“Your feedback is critical to ensuring our decisions reflect the values and needs of everyone with a vested interest in Ruapehu’s future,” he said.

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