Whanganui District Council

The Whanganui District Council provides local services and facilities, such as public transport, rubbish and recycling, libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. It also makes decisions about building and planning, local regulations, and infrastructure, such as water supply and sewerage. The council is made up of 12 councillors and the mayor. This is a first past the post (FPP) election, so you vote by ticking the name of your preferred candidate on your ballot paper. Compare the candidates and their policies to decide who to vote for in the Whanganui District Council election.

Recreation and culture

From parks and libraries to museums and art galleries, councils can be a key supporter of sporting, recreational and cultural events that bring communities to life. Community facilities, including sports grounds and town halls, are often owned and run by councils.

Recreation and culture

From parks and libraries to museums and art galleries, councils can be a key supporter of sporting, recreational and cultural events that bring communities to life. Community facilities, including sports grounds and town halls, are often owned and run by councils.

  • Allocate and secure funding to retain and upgrade the Surf Club building and the Duncan Pavilion.

    Push for legislation around minimum requirement of green spaces and parks in new development areas.

  • Promote sport and recreation within our culture for mental health and well-being.

    Increase our community-run events with backing from the council.

    Ensure all Whanganui assets are maintained and run by council employees.

  • Reinvigorated Kowhai Park.

    Develop international relationships with event promoters to bring festivals to Whanganui.

    Limit the amount of liquor stores in Whanganui.

  • Promote greater use of the awa and beaches for recreation while ensuing that use is safe and environmentally sound.

    Encourage greater use of shared pathways for both cycling and walking reducing use of fossil fuels and ensures healthy exercise.

    Stop increased the proliferation of alcohol and gaming outlets in suburban areas.

  • Build on the existing sports and recreation strategy to support continual improvement in facilities and events including water-based sports.

    Establish a special events management unit to provide professional event management services to grow and support our numerous iconic events.

    Ensure the heritage and art strategies support the arts, cultural and historically significant unique attributes of Whanganui.

  • Enhance the care and development of existing recreational and sports facilities.

    Reduce the number of liquor outlets. Reduce operating hours of pubs etc to close by 1am.

    Support festivals through the existing grants funding system.

  • Create a maramataka (moon phase) group that teaches the importance of the moon and its impacts

    Create an annual Community Harmony Day a community-led event that celebrates Whanganui district's bicultural diversity and kotahitanga.

    Establish an outdoor exercise park for families by the city library and other selected locations in low-socio economic suburbs.

  • Ensure green spaces in our neighbourhoods are preserved and included in new suburbs so that everyone has easy access to a green area.

    Strongly support the Youth Spaces and Places council engagement work so we improve youth social spaces in our community.

    Support the amazing council community development team in all the work they do to make our community more inclusive, vibrant and safe.

  • Support our existing facilities. Make them top notch. Any grand new ideas need to pass an acid test of whether they're feasible long term.

    Sink the lid on the number of liquor stores. Fewer stores that are monitored better.

    Attract new events to town and keep exisiting events such as the Masters Games doing well.

  • Decrease the liquor licenses in our region.

    Advocate and support local events, eg vintage weekend, open artists studios, masters games, to name just a few.

    Support our recreational facilities, keeping them up to date, well maintained and fit for purpose.

  • Revisit the roofing of the Velodrome. Not rest until we find a way to make it work that the community can both afford and be happy with.

    Support community events both in start-up but also sustainability. Whanganui people like events and support them well.

    Look to have a sinking lid policy on liquor stores, particularly when placed in vulnerable areas.

  • Enable events. Can be as simple as power and water in parks for food trucks and events, and building a council culture that says yes to events.

    Equity in funding of sports. Council funds should go to sports popular in 2022 not 1952 sports popular in Whanganui, like Waka Ama need loos!

    I argued for and got by-law change to cap venues in socially vulnerable areas. Current law is a Nerf gun not rifle to fight alcohol harm with.

  • Make Te Awa Tupua (the legal personality of the Whanganui River) the basis of our identity. Work to create a Te Awa Tupua cultural hub.

    Introduce a new, centrally located, physical multipurpose youth hub for young people as a place of fun, activity, safety, and connection.

    Increase the $150k currently allocated to the Community Contracts scheme to ensure that we're doing our bit to support local organisations.

  • Identify Whanganui's future needs for an outdoor swimming facility and plan for implementation.

    Review and redesign an upgrade for Kowhai Park, including an enhanced skatepark.

    Seek a proposal from the sport of cycling to partner with council to fundraise for and to roof the Velodrome.

  • Allocate and secure funding to retain and upgrade the Surf Club building and the Duncan Pavilion.

    Push for legislation around minimum requirement of green spaces and parks in new development areas.

  • Promote sport and recreation within our culture for mental health and well-being.

    Increase our community-run events with backing from the council.

    Ensure all Whanganui assets are maintained and run by council employees.

  • Reinvigorated Kowhai Park.

    Develop international relationships with event promoters to bring festivals to Whanganui.

    Limit the amount of liquor stores in Whanganui.

  • Promote greater use of the awa and beaches for recreation while ensuing that use is safe and environmentally sound.

    Encourage greater use of shared pathways for both cycling and walking reducing use of fossil fuels and ensures healthy exercise.

    Stop increased the proliferation of alcohol and gaming outlets in suburban areas.

  • Build on the existing sports and recreation strategy to support continual improvement in facilities and events including water-based sports.

    Establish a special events management unit to provide professional event management services to grow and support our numerous iconic events.

    Ensure the heritage and art strategies support the arts, cultural and historically significant unique attributes of Whanganui.

  • Enhance the care and development of existing recreational and sports facilities.

    Reduce the number of liquor outlets. Reduce operating hours of pubs etc to close by 1am.

    Support festivals through the existing grants funding system.

  • Create a maramataka (moon phase) group that teaches the importance of the moon and its impacts

    Create an annual Community Harmony Day a community-led event that celebrates Whanganui district's bicultural diversity and kotahitanga.

    Establish an outdoor exercise park for families by the city library and other selected locations in low-socio economic suburbs.

  • Ensure green spaces in our neighbourhoods are preserved and included in new suburbs so that everyone has easy access to a green area.

    Strongly support the Youth Spaces and Places council engagement work so we improve youth social spaces in our community.

    Support the amazing council community development team in all the work they do to make our community more inclusive, vibrant and safe.

  • Support our existing facilities. Make them top notch. Any grand new ideas need to pass an acid test of whether they're feasible long term.

    Sink the lid on the number of liquor stores. Fewer stores that are monitored better.

    Attract new events to town and keep exisiting events such as the Masters Games doing well.

  • Decrease the liquor licenses in our region.

    Advocate and support local events, eg vintage weekend, open artists studios, masters games, to name just a few.

    Support our recreational facilities, keeping them up to date, well maintained and fit for purpose.

  • Revisit the roofing of the Velodrome. Not rest until we find a way to make it work that the community can both afford and be happy with.

    Support community events both in start-up but also sustainability. Whanganui people like events and support them well.

    Look to have a sinking lid policy on liquor stores, particularly when placed in vulnerable areas.

  • Enable events. Can be as simple as power and water in parks for food trucks and events, and building a council culture that says yes to events.

    Equity in funding of sports. Council funds should go to sports popular in 2022 not 1952 sports popular in Whanganui, like Waka Ama need loos!

    I argued for and got by-law change to cap venues in socially vulnerable areas. Current law is a Nerf gun not rifle to fight alcohol harm with.

  • Make Te Awa Tupua (the legal personality of the Whanganui River) the basis of our identity. Work to create a Te Awa Tupua cultural hub.

    Introduce a new, centrally located, physical multipurpose youth hub for young people as a place of fun, activity, safety, and connection.

    Increase the $150k currently allocated to the Community Contracts scheme to ensure that we're doing our bit to support local organisations.

  • Identify Whanganui's future needs for an outdoor swimming facility and plan for implementation.

    Review and redesign an upgrade for Kowhai Park, including an enhanced skatepark.

    Seek a proposal from the sport of cycling to partner with council to fundraise for and to roof the Velodrome.

Vote Whanganui
Vote Whanganui