Recently TRM had to reluctantly complain – again – to Toe-paw Council about their signage welcoming tourists to Turangi for skiing in the summer. Now TRM has been approached again by disappointed Turangi residents asking us to illustrate the problem. Above is the “Welcome to Turangi” sign on SH1 for motorists approaching from the south Desert Road. You be the judge – we should not need to say another word. But in the circumstances, we have to.
This was the same scenario as last Summer with skiing signs to encourage tourists away from Turangi. TDC (Taupo District Council) might wonder why they are not held in high regard down this southern end of the lake, but their “signs management” has dropped to an all-time low. Again. Last month – only after they were exposed on this blog and other social media – they replaced skiing with the sign below, obviously taken from in Ruapehu District – about 50 km south. Not unsurprisingly, Turangi folk were upset.
Some suspicious readers may imagine TRM have it in for them so you be the judge. Their incompetence regarding our signs started years ago when TRM were fined twice for replacing signs welcoming tourists to Turangi. It all started when TDC fined TRM the very next day after our new signs were erected. No warnings – just a show of Council arrogance as we had not applied for a new resource consent to refresh our signs. There was no warning. TRM signs had been out on the main roads for over fifty years, since before the Taupo Council were even elected, before the present SH1 was formed. They did not consider that “Existing user rights” might apply? They acted like bullies.
Perhaps TRM should explain further. The first Taupo County Council was elected in 1962. TRM was already operating with usual motel signage from 1959 as part of the Ruapehu region. But once Taupo took over Turangi they started bullying tactics. TDC compliance staff mislead and lied to TRM, changing reasons for taking down the old signs. TDC compliance staff removed directional signs above (TURN LEFT & TURN RIGHT) directing tourists to the Tongariro River. There are still no signs directing tourists to the Tongariro River Trail. We apologise to regular readers who may have endured all this before as TRM risk becoming boring but TDC keep on inviting criticism…
Sadly, after so many council mistakes, Turangi signs issues will not go away. Again, below is the hardly visible “Welcome to Turangi” sign. I was on my bike with hands up high in the air to take the photo. From a lower moving car, any view of the sign would not be blocked.
No wonder Turangi has given up on Taupo District Council… The excessively over-paid Toe-paw CEO and his compliance staff have proved their incompetence once again. Considering several years of mistakes with signage as continued examples, if they worked anywhere else would be sacked. Turangi deserves better!
Anywhere else we could weed it ourselves. But on SH1 I am afraid to bike down there armed with loppers and hedge clippers to trim the scrub so the sign might be visible to tourists. The problem is TRM laundry does not have a hard hat (it was stolen by contractors) or hi-viz vest, nor can I carry enough cones to block off the roadside to satisfy traffic management regulations on SH1. It might need some STOP/GO signs too? I would probably be fined again. Oh dear. It is all so exasperating. What a waste of good fishing time.