Summit to focus on economic growth

Wanganui businesspeople will be sharing their ideas about economic growth with the Council at the Economic Summit to be held on Thursday, February 17.

The aim of the summit is to identify current barriers to economic growth in the Wanganui region and look at areas for future development and discussion.

The summit programme will include an introduction by Economic Committee Chair Dot McKinnon, a presentation on the Council's current economic development policy by Economic Development Manager Philip Shackleton and an address by guest speaker Stuart Trundle, of Venture Taranaki.

This will be followed by workshop sessions focusing on key sectors (education, niche manufacturing, food processing, rural, information technology and creative industries). Each of the workshop groups will then report back and actions to progress the issues will be identified.

This will form the basis of the Council's economic development strategy for the next three years.

Thursday's summit is the first of a number of summits which will help Councillors make decisions about how best to use the funds available.

Storm 2004 - When the rain never stopped falling

The Whanganui Regional Museum's latest exhibition explores the devastating weather pattern that struck our region in February 2004.

Visit the Museum between 10am-4.30pm daily to learn more about the 2004 storm. The exhibition continues until February 27.

In conjunction with the exhibition, on Sunday, February 13, there will be a storm workshop at the Museum. Focusing on preparing for survival, trained Civil Defence personnel will help you survive our next natural disaster. The workshop runs from 2pm-4pm. Another workshop will be held on Sunday, February 27, from 2pm-4pm.

At 2pm on Sunday, February 20, Wanganui Civil Defence manager Max Benseman will give an illustrated talk on the localised February 2004 storm.

On Friday, February 25, Museum staff will run a "Saving Our Family Treasures" workshop from midday to 2pm. This will be an interactive workshop to ensure your important works of art, books and photographs weather the storm.

2005 Masters Games wraps up this weekend

The past week has seen thousands of people participating in a huge range of sporting and social events during the 2005 New Zealand Masters Games in Wanganui.

The competition and fun continues this weekend with the last of the events, the closing ceremony and some full-on partying.

There are still heaps of sports events taking place on Saturday and Sunday, so if you're not taking part get along and give the participants some support.

In the tent, the entertainment continues with guest speaker Barry Maister, Secretary General of the NZ Olympic Committee and 1976 Olympic gold medallist, at 6.30pm on Saturday followed by the popular Itchycoo Park playing later in the evening. The Wanganui Jazz Club will be performing in the Tom Green Lounge from 6.30pm on Saturday. On Sunday the closing ceremony will be followed by various local performers playing in the main tent until midnight, with the Wanganui Jazz Club in the Tom Green Lounge from 6.30pm.

The closing ceremony takes place about 5pm on Sunday and will include the lowering of the Games flag, extinguishing of the flame and handing over the Games torch to the manager of the Dunedin Games venue.

To all our visitors - we hope you had a great time and we look forward to welcoming you back in 2007.

Work is due to begin next week on resealing roads in the Wanganui urban area.

The contractor, Works Infrastructure, will begin work on February 14 and the job is expected to take up to two weeks (weather permitting).

Resealing work will be done on a large number of urban streets and there will be a letterbox drop to advise residents in the affected areas.

The Council is currently distributing a petition seeking increased police numbers in the Wanganui District.

The petition says:

"Wanganui District residents respectfully request that the House of Representatives urge the Government to increase policing numbers at a national level so that the policing numbers in the Wanganui District can be restored to at least those of June 2001, which will mean at least six more sworn police officers."

The petition will be available in dairies, petrol stations, takeaway shops and other retail establishments. It is also available at the Council's Customer Services Desk and the District Library.

The aim is to get 10,000 people to sign the petition between now and the beginning of April. A barometer showing progress has been set up in Majestic Square and is also available on this page.

If you would like a copy of the petition, please contact Irene Pearson at the Council, phone 349 0001.

Upcoming Council meetings

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings.

Environment (District Plan Hearing) - Tuesday, February 15 (2pm)
- Change 2 - Commercial Activities in Reserves and Open Space Zone and Change 4 - Central City Building Design Guidelines

Council - Monday, February 21 (4pm Pioneer Room, Memorial Hall)
- The Council will consider the reports from all the Committee meetings held during January and February.

Unless otherwise noted all meetings are held at 4.00pm in Committee Room 2, 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.

Meeting cancellation

The meeting of the Community Committee scheduled for 23 February 2005 is cancelled, pending a Council decision on the Community Contracts process.