Ohakune Depot open, staffed by locals
19 June 2025
We’re excited to share that The Lines Company (TLC) has officially reopened our Ohakune Depot – and it’s now proudly run by a team of locals.
“We’re really pleased to have the facility open again, staffed by locals to keep local customers connected.” said Jared Murell, TLC’s General Manager Service Delivery.
Jared explained that previously if there was an outage in Ohakune or surrounding area, the team would need to come all the way from Taumarunui, often causing delays of up to two hours before the guys even get on site to start fixing the problem. Now with a local crew just up the road, response times have improved dramatically.
The three-strong team of Line Foreman Te Maire Hawira, Trainee Line Mechanic Aaron Wilson and Faultman Electrician Carl Barrow all live locally, either in Raetihi or nearby.
Te Maire and Aaron are born and bred locals and were both thrilled to find work close to home and family.
Te Maire and his family had talked about work opportunities in the area and the possibility of moving on, but then he heard that TLC wanted to get the Ohakune Depot back up and running.
“My whānau are really happy here and our tamariki are settled,” Te Maire said. “When I heard that TLC was keen to open the Ohakune depot, it was a no brainer from me to get in touch – I can keep my family living where we love.”
Aaron loves the area too. Having lost his job when the Winstone Mill closed, he too was faced with the prospect of either having to work away or move his family away.
“Getting this job here means we can stay in the area close to whānau,” said Aaron. “It’s a been a real win for us as a family and it’s great knowing we can be on site fixing power outages almost immediately for our community.”
Carl too has been in the area for years. Owning his own electrical business and with Winstone Mill a major client, the mill closure had a significant impact on his business. When the role came up, Barrow jumped at the chance and was the third to join the small dynamic team.
“Living and working in the same community is rewarding,” said Carl. “It’s a great adventure town with a quiet, close-knit feeling out of season. I’m part of this community and working here – considering the work we do, is a great way to give back and connect.”
TLC is thrilled to have the Ohakune Depot back open and delivering great service, by locals to locals.
“With local people minutes away, the wait time for our customers is dramatically reduced,” said Jared.
Te Maire agrees. “We had one job recently where we got the power back on in just 45 minutes. One of the customers affected by the outage was really surprised and pleased, telling us that they were thinking their electricity would be off for at least two to three hours. It’s pretty awesome hearing feedback like that.”
TLC’s new three-man Ohakune team is bringing faster service to customers and making a difference to the local community.
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