The Turangi-Tongariro Community Board get serious about keeping the town tidy

At the first monthly meeting for 2008, the Community Board agreed that there was room for improvement in the cleanliness and general appearance of the town’s public spaces and facilities.

The Board discussed positive ways of improving the town’s image after recent criticism from both residents and visitors on the state of the Town Centre over the Christmas period.

Community Board Chair Cr Don Ormsby acknowledged that there were problems with the appearance of the town centre over summer and that Council needs to “keep on top of things.” He said the smell in the toilet block in the Town Centre needs to be investigated and fixed and that it may be time to look at removing toilets on the Waipapa Reserve as they are continually vandalised.

Clr Ormsby said the Council try their best but need the community to get in behind them and look out for community assets because it’s ratepayers money that is paying for them. “It costs money every time Council have to fix a toilet or remove graffiti and I urge anyone who sees Council or private property being damaged to call the police immediately so they can apprehend the culprits.”

He said Turangi ratepayers can be proud of the improvements happening in their area, “we have the Turangi library and the Genesis Energy Turangi Aquatic Centre being upgraded, the new Community Health Centre is also about to be built, the last thing we want is for them to get trashed – the community need to take ownership.”

The Community Board agreed that Turangi is a great place and is getting more and more popular, particularly over the summer period. They think it is a shame when a small group of troublemakers vandalise the town and give it a bad reputation. Mr Ormsby says he will be meeting with the local police to discuss how Turangi can progress some positive youth initiatives in the area.