Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Transfer of surplus fire assets to new authority questioned

Zaryd Wilson
Zaryd Wilson
Editor - Whanganui Chronicle ·Whanganui Chronicle·
30 Jun, 2017 01:00 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Councillor Alan Taylor wants the council to be compensated for its fire fighting equipment. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Councillor Alan Taylor wants the council to be compensated for its fire fighting equipment. Photo/ Bevan Conley

Alan Taylor has accused the Government of trying to "steal" council assets as rural firefighting services change hands this weekend.

The Whanganui District councillor's comments come as council decides what to do with the firefighting equipment which will soon be surplus to its requirements.

As of July 1, Whanganui District Council will no longer be responsible for rural fire fighting.

Instead it will be the responsibility of the new Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) which combines the current New Zealand Fire Service and rural fire authorities.

Council own several assets such as a smoke chaser (crew-response vehicle), a tanker, a utility vehicle, trailer and an older model quad bike.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It also had portable water pumps, dams, hoses, and other firefighting apparatus.

It is expected the assets will simply transferred over to Fenz in order to maintain the same service to the community.

"Fenz I have a feeling aren't willing to pay anything for them," council chief operating officer Bryan Nicholson told the property and community services committee.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said there were several schools of thought around why it should be a simple transfer.

"The community has already paid for it through rates. If Fenz were to pay for them again, which is taxpayers' money, then they'll be paid for twice.

"At the moment those assets still remain with council until council decides whether they do want to sign them over to Fenz."

Mr Nicholson said keeping them on council books also meant it would incur depreciation costs.

But Mr Taylor said he had concerns about the process.

"What the Government is attempting to do here is steal our assets," he said.

"And the argument that the ratepayer has paid for them, therefore the taxpayer has paid for them - they are not the same thing."

The transfer has been endorsed at council committee level but will be considered by the full council on July 4.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Mayor warns rates cap will hit tourism districts

04 Dec 10:30 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

'A gesture of courage’: Whanganui hapū celebrate settlement milestone

04 Dec 08:38 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Duck race quacks decade milestone

04 Dec 05:00 PM

Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Mayor warns rates cap will hit tourism districts
Whanganui Chronicle

Mayor warns rates cap will hit tourism districts

Ruapehu has a small population but its heavy visitor load requires additional facilities.

04 Dec 10:30 PM
'A gesture of courage’: Whanganui hapū celebrate settlement milestone
Whanganui Chronicle

'A gesture of courage’: Whanganui hapū celebrate settlement milestone

04 Dec 08:38 PM
Duck race quacks decade milestone
Whanganui Chronicle

Duck race quacks decade milestone

04 Dec 05:00 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP