Tokoroa International Model Park update for Jan 2015

Summer is here in force and the Tokoroa airfield remains utterly deserted with barely one or two full-sized aircraft movements per week.
Despite the fact that this wonderful, valuable asset sits unused and unmaintained, the airfield owners (The South Waikato District Council) still remain unreceptive to using it in a way that will bring tourism and economic benefits to the town.
As you will see in this video, the Council's neglect of the airfield has also created a very significant fire risk and at this time of year, fires can rapidly spread out of control. The Council was informed of this risk over a week ago and have still done nothing -- while at least one fire very nearby has required the attention of fire-fighters. This level of neglect would never happen if it were operated as a model park.
Looking around the retail area of Tokoroa it is easy to see the signs of a town in decline. The shopping district is increasingly littered with "for Rent" and "for lease" signs -- yet, despite sending the Mayor and Deputy Mayor on a junket to China, allegedly to explore new tourism opportunities -- they continue to turn away the hundreds of people who have pledged over $40,000 dollars to the model-park. These same people, and others, would, as witnessed by those who appear in this video, come from all corners of the planet to fly RC models here -- if they were allowed.
What a travesty!
We can only hope that sanity eventually prevails and the SWDC realises that it is failing local businesses and residents very badly in respect to the airfield and its enormous potential to turn this town into a "GO-TO" place rather than the "go-through" one it currently is.
There are none so blind...