Additional funding approved for Go Tongariro

Taupo District Council has confirmed it will provide a $20,000 grant to Go Tongariro for the 2017/18 year to help fund the co-ordinator role.

Go Tongariro is an independent economic development trust based in Turangi that provides business growth and events support as well as tourism and retail promotion. It is currently funded by Taupō District Council, Destination Great Lake Taupo and Enterprise Great Lake Taupo.

The trust received council funding of $20,000 in 2015/16 and the intent was for their grant to gradually reduce to $14,000 in 2016/17 and then $7000 in 2017/18. However, Go Tongariro requested an amendment to the amount of funding Council intended to provide in the 2017/18 year.

Following consultation with the community council agreed to provide a total of $20,000 for Go Tongariro to fund the co-ordinator role during this week's Annual Plan deliberations.

Mayor David Trewavas said the council could see the value in maintaining the co-ordinator role, particularly given an economic development strategy commissioned for Turangi was nearing completion.

However, the additional funding would come with an expectation of increased accountability.

Go Tongariro has noted funding the co-ordinator role is important for the continuation of the organisation and for improving membership numbers. We will be asking for regular updates from the trust and would expect to see Go Tongariro boost its membership dramatically in the near future, he said.

The stronger Go Tongariro are, the more economic development activities we'll see in the Turangi area, which will benefit the whole community at the southern end of Lake Taupō.

The community had the opportunity to give their views during the submission period with 60 per cent of the submitters who commented on the issue supportive of Council providing additional funding.