Whanganui wins New Zealand’s most beautiful small city award
Published on 30 October 2020
For the second consecutive year, Whanganui has been crowned a winner in the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards by taking out the Most Beautiful Small City title. To complete the double, suburban advocacy group Progress Castlecliff was chosen as the winner of the Community Group Award.
Keep New Zealand Beautiful (KNZB) announced the winners at a virtual ceremony held online on Thursday, 29 October 2020.
In a change from previous years, the KNZB judges declared a tie in the Most Beautiful City category with Whanganui being awarded the Most Beautiful Small City title, and Hamilton the Most Beautiful Large City. KNZB chief executive, Heather Saunderson, said the two centres were “both river cities – they have a huge focus on the arts and beautification, and both have well established top-of-the-line recycling facilities.”
The Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards celebrate towns, cities and local heroes who lead the way with outstanding environmental and beautification work.
Whanganui District Council’s Most Beautiful City entry featured collaborations between the council and several organisations, such as a diversion for waste from construction and demolition sites with roading contractor Downer. Other initiatives included the council’s ongoing support of local sustainability agencies to provide services and programmes to reduce litter and educate the community about better options for managing waste.
The revival of Whanganui’s heritage buildings was also a feature of the entry, with many heritage projects receiving funding from the council’s Heritage Grant Fund.
Whanganui District Mayor, Hamish McDouall, says, “This is another wonderful accolade for what everyone who lives here knows – Whanganui is the most beautiful city, small or not, in New Zealand! I also wholeheartedly congratulate Progress Castlecliff for their recognition in these awards – they are a tremendous example of effective community advocacy for our city and district.”
Whanganui District Councillor, Helen Craig, accepted the awards on behalf of the council and Progress Castlecliff via a Zoom link.
Cr Craig acknowledged the massive amount of work by various organisations such as Mainstreet Whanganui and the Town Centre Regeneration Project, along with local sustainability groups, that made entering the KNZB awards possible. She described the awards success as “a remarkable achievement for the entire Whanganui community”.
Whanganui District Councillor, James Barron, entered Progress Castlecliff in KNZB’s Community Group Award category.
Cr Barron says, “Celebrating the change we’ve seen in Castlecliff could not be complete without mentioning Graham Pearson, Ivan Vostinar, Jamie Waugh, Charlotte Melser, Ellen Young, Deputy Mayor Jenny Duncan, past and present Progress Castlecliff members and many others who believed that beyond the long period of neglect, the heart of Castlecliff was still beating.
“The pride we feel in Castlecliff, and the progress and change we have made as a community, are reflected in this award that brings credit and pride to Progress Castlecliff and our vibrant and diverse Castlecliff community.”
Jonathan Sykes, Strategic Lead – Brand, Events and i-SITE, at the council’s economic development agency, Whanganui & Partners, says the wins are a great public endorsement of what locals already know about Whanganui.
“We’ll be soon commencing our next wave of tourism advertising, the largest we have ever had. These awards will act as a proof point within that advertising. We’ve recently seen strong increases in tourism spending and we look forward to seeing it continue.”
Mayor McDouall says, “While we celebrate our achievements, we cannot rest on our laurels. The goal now is to continue to seek further improvements in keeping Whanganui clean and beautiful – many thanks to Keep New Zealand Beautiful.”