Get your family together and get on your bikes for Sunday's Mayoral Family Bike Challenge - let's beat the rest of New Zealand for the title of "Cycle Mad City".

Mayor Michael Laws will lead the ride around Wanganui and the city will get a point for each participant.

Mayor Laws is encouraging families to come along for a fun day. After the cycle challenge, there are Children's Day events at Springvale Park and Castlecliff Beach.

To take part in the challenge, be at the GF Moore Drive entrance to Springvale Park to register at 9.30am on Sunday. There will be a safety briefing at 10am and then the Mayor will lead the ride on a pleasant 9km circuit, which winds through Gonville and along the Whanganui River at Taupo Quay, before returning to Springvale Park. There will be plenty of marshalls along the route to help participants find their way.

An obstacle course will be set up at Springvale Park for those unable to cycle the 9km route and/or under 10-year-olds who do not have adult supervision.

Everyone who takes part in the Challenge will be entered into a draw to win an Avanti Bike as well as lots of other spot prizes including water bottles and bike lights. The draw will be made by Mayor Michael Laws at the end of the event.

The Wanganui Beach Society is hosting a family fun day at Castlecliff Beach Domain Park as part of National Children's Day on Sunday, March 1.

The fun takes place from 12 noon until 4pm with music, karaoke, surf lifesaving displays, the great beach "dig in", a free sausage sizzle and much more. This is a great community event and is supported by many Castlecliff and Wanganui organisations, including Wanganui District Council. Don't forget to be sun smart and bring the whole family along for a great afternoon of free family fun.

Since Wanganui District Council launched the Australian Bushfire Appeal 2009 two weeks ago, over $16,000 has been received in donations.

Cr Ray Stevens, who is co-ordinating the appeal, has been delighted with the response so far.

"I would like to personally thank everyone who has contributed to this appeal – those who have given money and those who have given up their time and energy to join in our fundraising efforts. The street collection last Friday was a huge success and the support we have had from ANZ Bank and Classic Hits FM really helped to get people out there and giving. A big thank you also to the publicans who kindly let us visit their premises to collect on Friday evening.

"However, the appeal is not over yet. The Australian Bushfire Appeal 2009 is still open for another two weeks, until March 9, when I will fly out and present the money raised to the Mayor and people of Whittlesea, one of the areas devastated by the fires.

"In the meantime I would like to see more fundraising events going on and ask schools to hold 'mufti-days' to raise money for the appeal or any other great ideas they come up with. We will be collecting at the River Traders Market on Saturday, February 28, between 8.30am and 11am and donations can be made at any New Zealand branch of the ANZ Bank and at Double S Motordrome garage on State Highway 3."

The account is called the “Wanganui District Council Australian Bushfire Appeal”; account number 01 0790 0181052 00 ANZ Wanganui.

Virginia Lake is set to become a world of films, fables and fantasies when the Wanganui Floral Art Group presents Fantasia from Saturday, February 28, to Monday, March 2.

Billed as an event for "the young and not so young", the public is invited to view sculptural designs which will be installed around the Winter Gardens area. These will include "Grimms Hairy Tails", The Cat and the Hat, The Simpsons and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

There will also be music on Saturday (12 noon to 4pm) and Sunday (11am to 4pm). A Rutherford Intermediate School wearable art parade will be held at Virginia Lake on Saturday from 2pm.

The sculptural designs will be on display at Virginia Lake at the following times:

Saturday, February 28, 10am to 5pm
Sunday, March 1, 10am to 5pm
Monday, March 2, 10am to 3pm

Details of the following vacancies are available on this page:

Technician/Mechanist - Royal Wanganui Opera House
Applications close 2 March 2009

Team Leader, Community Projects Team - Graffiti
Applications close 5 March 2009

Revenue Officer
Applications close 6 March 2009

The Wanganui District Council is working with the Wanganui Resene PaintWise Programme. Wanganui residents can return unwanted paint (no solvents accepted) and paint packaging to the Resene Colour Shop. It is then mixed into varying shades of grey paint. Resene donates the resulting good quality waterborne Resene paint to community groups in Wanganui.

Residents can return up to 10 packs of any brand of paint free of charge.

Where: Resene Colour Shop, 17 Wilson Street, Wanganui; phone 348 0048
When: Deliver it on the last Friday of every month
Time: Between 2.00pm and 4.00pm

Diary these dates
Friday, 27 February 2009
Friday, 27 March 2009
Friday, 24 April 2009

You can also help by reporting graffiti as and when it happens. Telephone the Graffiti Hotline 349 0500 for removal of graffiti in highly visible areas of Wanganui.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Finance and Infrastructure – Tuesday, March 3
- Finance and Corporate Action Plan; Half Year Report to 31 December 2008; Splash Centre Report; Statistics Quarterly Update; Property Group Activity Report; Pensioner Housing; Delegation to Chief Executive – Appointment of Parking Wardens; Maria Place Parking; Infrastructure Projects Update; Water Supply Strategy Interim Update; Upokongaro Pontoon Update; Schedule of Documents Sealed; Financial Commitments. Confidential Items: Minutes from Previous Meeting – 2 December 2008; Matters Arising from Previous Minutes.

Council – Tuesday, March 10
- The purpose of the meeting is to approve the Draft 10-Year Plan 2009-2019 for consultation.

Wanganui District Councils' Joint Forestry – Thursday, March 12 (4.00pm, Committee Room 2)

Council – Monday, March 16
- The Council will consider the reports from committee meetings held in February and March along with reports direct to Council.

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held at 3.00pm in the Council Chamber, 1st Floor, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui, and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.