Southland District councillors have unanimously approved the purchase of a new vehicle, which will be transformed into the region's new book bus.
It had been proposed a loan be taken out to fund the new purchase.
However, council chief financial officer Anne Robson said upon further scoping, enough funds had accumulated in the council's vehicle replacement coffers to be able to buy a Mercedes Sprinter van without needing to borrow the money.
The total on-road costs came to $112,000 for the new 7-metre-long vehicle. It would be a multi-use vehicle that could be deployed during emergency situations.
A distinctive artistic wrap would feature on the outside of the van, which also would have a high-speed Starlink internet link to provide broader multi-use options.
Council decided last month to defer its decision about the bus replacement until another model had been investigated.
The report to council stated it was discovered while the Iveco vehicle had a slightly larger volume than the Mercedes, it had lower headroom which made it less suitable for the purpose.
The new vehicle would be replacing the current 10-year-old book bus, which required frequent and significant maintenance and repairs after recording more than 350,000 kilometres.
— Toni McDonald
