One of the reasons I stood for Mayor of Timaru was because the Timaru District Council does not promote Tourism. It gives grants of up to $650,00 to just 2 organizations and gets very little in return. Let me tell you about some of the things these organosations do with the money.
Aoraki Development Trust
This Timaru District Council organization each year receives over $200,000 from the TDC and last year it printed a high gloss magazine of the Aoraki region. It had photos of just 3 people in it, the CEO of ADT Murray Cleverley and the 3 Mayors of the Aoraki District Janie Annear Timaru, John Coles Waimate and John O’Neil Mackenzie. The publication was delivered to every business in Timaru and some even got 2 copies. Why would anyone want to promote Timaru to themselves?
The ADT also published a book of photos of Timaru by a local photographer and graphic artist. At a council meeting I saw the Mayor of Timaru present a copy of the book to a local car salesman John Bradley when he became a New Zealand citizen after living in Timaru for well over 30 years. Mr. Bradley became a NZ Citizen so he would be eligible to become a Timaru Councilor and he succeeded.
Conference Centre
A few years ago the ADT hired a firm of consultants to do a feasibility study on the posibility of Timaru becoming a suitible place to build a 5 star hotel with a conference centre. The report was positive but the public has never seen the report which has now gone into hiding. I tried to get a copy of the report to take to Christchurch when I visited the Scenic Circle Hotel chain. The Chairman of the ADT Howard Smith told me I would have to pay $25 for a copy. What an insult.
Another time a Director of the NZ Historical Places Trust Anna Crighton offered to bring a top Canadian architect to Timaru to meet with the owners of the Hydro Grand Hotel. The purpose was to show them what could be done to restore the Hydro Grand and build a conference centre and top class hotel around the site. The meeting did not take place because the CEO of the ADT Murray Cleverley refused to organize such a meeting.
Central South Island Tourism
When Mr. Cleverley refused my request to organize a hearing for Anna Crighton and her group I asked the CEO of Central South Island Tourism Philip Brownie if he would do it. He said, “he could not do so because he was flying out to China the next day”
The end result of that visit is that Information Centre in Timaru now has a Japanese shop selling Asian goods.
The shop came about after several visits to Asia by local leaders. Some of them were the Mayor of Timaru Janie Anear, councillor Dave Jack, Murray Cleverley and the president of the Chamber of Commerce Steven Lyttle.
I am told Central South Island Tourism receives grants from the Council of over $400,000 PA to spend on such things as Christmas parades and sponsorship of local events. The Geraldine music festival and an organisation called A Womens Affair are just two organizations that have benefited from Timaru ratepayers money in recent times.
In my opinion the ratepayers of Timaru are not getting value for their money when it comes to the promotion of Timaru. The councillors know this but they are all far to weak to do anything about it.
Timaru Tourist Promotions
I could write a book on the corruption I have seen in local politics in Timaru over the years but it would be a waist of my energy and time.
Instead I am going to do something positive about the situation. I have a plan that will bring Tourists into Timaru in very large numbers.
When it comes to Tourism Timarus greatest asset is no longer Caroline Bay it is the rural countryside that boarders Caroline Bay. In the country there are live animals, birds and fish of all kinds. Green grass and rivers with views overlooking the mountains and the sea. I have already started taking photos of the animals and rural scenery and I will be putting them on my website and will publish them in brochures and in a book I will be selling to tourists.
I have already made arrangements with one camper van company to put my brochures in their vans. Then there are the rental car companies and tour bus companies who are all looking for places to send their clients this time of year. Not everyone wants to see rocks and snow like they have around the Southern lakes. There are many people both local and from around the world who love the clean fresh air of country living with lots of bird life and animals to see.
The Timaru District Countryside has it all.
At the moment Timaru Tourist Promotions is just me. I do the market surveys, find the participants, take the photos, do the graphic artwork, sell the advertising, print the brochures, deliver them to the tourism outlets and field inquiries from the tourists.
I don’t mind working 7 days a week to do it because I’m a motivational coach and I like to teach others by example.
This is the time of the year that we should be selling Rural Timaru but there is no way I can do that on my own before Christmas.
If there is anyone out there that is willing to give me a hand to promote Rural New Zealand then I have the ideas and the plan to make it happen.
Call Ron today (03) 688 4485 work (03) 686 1271 after hours
or send me an email ron@timarudirectory.co.nz
