Apologies to anglers looking for a fishy update before the Easter holiday. We have had other matters on our mind – like directional signs and $750 fines. In case you imagined it was just “ TRM’s” prejudiced personal opinion criticising Taupo Council compliance twits, (?) here is a sample of some of the more balanced comments from other residents/tourist anglers/readers/inmates to the Taupo Council Compliance Department following their removal of tourists directional signage… Council might like to pin these on their staff notice board. They must be so proud of their persecution strategy and abuse of their authority. Great for staff morale.
I don’t know why you just don’t pay council their bribe money. Simply slide a few dollars into their back pockets and they will amend official documents, turn a blind eye to process and most of all won’t harrass the elderly 70 year old laundry attendant.
Hi Ross, Do They have Hot Cross buns in Jail – goal – Hinaki or whatever they call it , hot maybe the operative word. Happy Easter,
Ross, The Taupo Council are corrupt. They are really corrupt. The Americans call it “cronyism”. It involves corruption at the top level.
Honestly such a storm in a teacup, have they nothing better to do with their time? It’s not as if you’re distracting drivers or saying something incorrect. Pissed off cause they didn’t think of it first? Plus by putting the sign up, you saved them the money
But the directional signage is crucial and there is absolutely no way it could be mistaken for NZTA signage!!
RNZ brings huge credibility – you dont get interviews there without a lot of research going into it before hand.
Will stand my ground on this one, we should be supporting people that are trying to promote Turangi, the alternative is that everyone does NOTHING and sits on their hands, there are plenty of people that do just that.
Council job for life as no one else will employ them….lol
“Council wankers watch your future employment” I would actually pay your sign writer to put that one up.
Come on Taupo District Council. Come on. Are you guys just bored??
Oh yes, this sooooo looks like a TRANSIT sign.
I really worry for you guys up there, is it the IQ of the pucilanimus ignorant morons who work for you in “city hall” or those that elected them.????
I really worry for you guys up there, is it the IQ of the pucilanimus ignorant morons who work for you in “city hall” or those that elected them.????
Chicken and Egg…..
haha bit like the Turkish Government removing the NZ Commemorative sign at Chunuk Bair last year……
I like the signs, they are inviting and interesting.
Never give in to TDC. Those signs Ross put up, the TDC should’ve done a long time ago. And $1500 for resource consent, what a joke.
What official road sign does that look similar too?? What crock! It’s much better than the old one! The one we have on the Main Street of Taupo with neon lighting is an accident waiting to happen it’s so bright and distracting who is in charge of the rules they need a slap.
TDC promotional budget concentrates mainly on Taupo. Bugger all on the other outlying hubs.
WTF!
Weak
Oh so need to vote out the ignorant councillors who won’t stand up to the salaried bureaucrats and put them in their place.
Time for a nationwide collective action to clean out our local bodies of dead wood.PS why are your council minions acting? Surely if it bugged LTSA so much they would do something
Time for a nationwide collective action to clean out our local bodies of dead wood.PS why are your council minions acting? Surely if it bugged LTSA so much they would do something
For the life of me I cannot see what’s wrong with it? N what our Council don’t seem to realise is heat this pedantic, melancholy, pathetic attitude is driving some activities underground.
Pathetic.. what a waste of time + money – destroying your initiative to help tourists to find their way around. It’s madness!!
Is this a case of council stupidity or council corruption. Councils decision making process allowed TDC plenty of time for internal discussions therefore plenty of time to establish a strategy to deal to Mr Baker of Turangi. Its difficult to see where or how mistakes could have been made in the way TDC conducted their business, this has been a well thought out process. Therefore is this a decision made by a individual for personal gain…. I think fair to ask TDC for some transparency of their staff members and maybe allow a investigator to investigate the banking records of any TDC staff associated with this shamozol. The people of NZ are sick and tired of left wing liberal local councils thinking they can go around and harassing people. In this case this poor elderly man in his mid 70s was targeted and threatened with fines for something he is not responsible for. I believe his general occupation is that of a simple laundry attendant at a modest community focused motel. Altering local Government records and threatening legal action is the tip of the iceberg to where corruption starts and reminds me of a Forest Gump moment where i remember my Papa bringing home that nice Policeman from Queensland, he seemed really nice until he was thrown in jail for many years on corruption charges. I think time we started looking at councils and their staff a lot closer and thus be a great example of why
(TRM question and dispute this complaint. The “poor elderly man in his mid 70’s” is in his prime!)
Nice one Ross! Might be time to OIA the Taupo Council to ask how much rate-payer money they have spent thus far on pursuing this issue. Pretty sure they should be focusing on real issues.
Wonderful interview
good on you Ross Baker
did council form a specialised committee and contract a international risk accessment consultant. Fair to say all new Zealanders view our councils as first class morons and thus look at them as no more than a running joke. Councils full of left wing suger britches
This is a great sign John Freeman, compared to the district council sign welcome to turangi. Your sign outlays Turangi without words, and moreso the direction signals are just a outstanding way for those visiting from near and far.
Ross and Pip, y’all are the best promoters of Turangi. The council should be paying you for all the encouragement of positive tourism.
TDC outsourcing to Rating nz when the locals can do a better job? And then complain that the community isnt doing enough to help themselves.
Wait? What?!?!?! So THAT was their big issue? It had directions on it?!?!?!?! What about all the signs to Garage Sales over weekends do they fine people for those too? Or Real estate signs to open homes if it is off SH1?
This is blinking crazy – how the heck are we supposed to find where you are? You should now invoice the Council for promoting the town!
To whom it may concern,
Especially John Ridd.
I’m one of those who regularly visit Turangi to avail myself of the fishing.
A quick look at motel guest books would give you an idea how many $ we anglers and thrill seekers bring into the town.
You must surely now be aware of the debacle surrounding signage at the back of Tongariro River Motor (TRM).
To say the way it has been managed is truly a travesty of administration/management and business opportunities.
Following a meeting with Ross baker, he received the following:
Quality signs will nip down tomorrow and cover the directional signage – I am in Auckland tomorrow but will be taking to NZTA Thursday re signage. John Ridd Head of Economic Development and Business Transformation Taupo District Council
That is a pretty high handed, arrogant approach to the matter.
The signs in question comply with NZTA guidelines, in no way being classed as directional.
You may as well take down all the garage sale, Open home and other signs of the same ilk.
How petty is the council in it’s vindictive personal crusade against Ross and TRM?
Total abuse of responsibilities and totally ignoring those the council does have.
This matter is being discussed internationally now.
John Ridd has no authority to order the removal of signage that complies with NZTA guidelines and has resource consents.
Get yourselves informed.
Remember, Local Board elections aren’t that far away. The International and Local Angling fraternity are more than capable of running a campaign around this matter at that time.
it was agreed by everyone TDC’s handling of Ross Baker’s signage issue was a disgrace – fortunately it has been resolved. Remember you can always contact the Residents Association for support in these sorts of situations and we will do our best to help.
With out the sign how many people will pass through and not think of Turangi. I’ll turn left and will always stay at TRM
This and RNZ! 😉 hey well done at least you got that issue fixed but… its the same story as always though, absolutely the only thing these people respond to is public shame and humiliation – everything else is a waste of time. Now it will be back to sleep and avoid doing anything until the next high profile catastrophe that they are forced to respond to with another sticking plaster. These people have no idea what they are doing with developing the region, they don’t care and all they are interested in is how little they can get away with and that no one notices or calls them out on their hopeless ineffectiveness and almost total failure to do anything proactive or coordinated for Turangi-Tongariro for the past 10 years…