The Tokoroa i-SITE’s last day of operation will be Friday, September 27.
This is following a decision by Council earlier in the year to close the facility due to the low visitor numbers using the service.
"The information service offered by the i-SITE staff to our local community will now be delivered by Council staff through our office in Torphin Crescent and the Tokoroa Library in Mannering Street," says community and corporate group manager Gordon Naidoo.
"One of the local businesses in Leith Place will be taking on the bus ticketing service once the business owner has met with InterCity to put the system in place,.
"Feedback from users indicated this was a primary concern, so we are pleased that this solution has been found. This won’t be effective from closure, but won’t be far away."
From Saturday, September 28, the current i-SITE phone number and email will reply to users with an automatic message to contact Council.
The public toilets in the building will remain accessible Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm and on weekends from 9am to 1 pm and again from 4pm to 5pm.
The facility will be open during this time with a Council presence.
"Once the new toilets are complete as part of the Tokoroa CBD Upgrade, the facility will be closed, ready for a new tenant," says Gordon.
"Council knows the Tokoroa i-SITE service that the Switched on Tourism team has delivered over the years has been outstanding," says Council’s chief executive Ben Smit.
"The closure of the i-SITE is not related to the quality service Council, our community and visitors have enjoyed over the years."
He sincerely thanks Mr Brunton and his team for their excellent service.
Council found it hard to justify continuing to fund an i-SITE service in Tokoroa given the changing face of i-SITE services nationally with an increasing number of centres across New Zealand closing their doors; and the nature of local vs tourist queries.
"Visitors, both national and international now conduct much of the ‘tourist information’ service via online devices," says Gordon.
"The current i-SITE service in Tokoroa handles around 20 per cent of ‘tourist queries’; the remaining 80 per cent are local queries by local people.
"These queries will now be handled out of the library hub and the Council office."
