Wanganui will be the final destination of the two-round wanganui.com UIM Jet Sprint World Series on February 18 and 19.

Teams from Australia, New Zealand and Canada will compete in two categories for the coveted World Series title.

The first round takes place in the Wairarapa on February 11 and 12 and Wanganui's economic development team is using the event as part of a campaign to promote the district's businesses and lifestyle benefits to domestic and international visitors, via the wanganui.com website.

The final round on the following weekend will be held at the Shelter View track, just outside Wanganui, followed by an awards evening at the War Memorial Centre where the winners' trophies will be presented.

The wanganui.com promotion fits well with the jet sprint boat series, not least because the top four teams in the Super Boat category are all from Wanganui, including current New Zealand Super Boat champions Leighton and Kellie Minnell.

The jet sprints are family orientated and offer an exciting and thrilling day out for everyone.

As part of the Wanganui promotion there will be live-streaming on the Sunday of each event on the www.wanganui.com website. This gives people who are unable to attend a great opportunity to see the races as well as see plenty of what Wanganui has to offer via the website.

This event has received funding from Wanganui District Council's Impact Fund. The Impact Fund supports projects which will generate significant economic benefits to Wanganui city and district.

For details of the full programme and to buy tickets online visit www.v8jetsprints.co.nz. Tickets are also available from the i-Site Visitor Information Centre on Taupo Quay.

Photo courtesy of Shelter View Jet Sprints

Exhibition and Floor Talk - Neil Pardington: The Vault
11am on Saturday, February 4

Glimpses into normally hidden spaces behind the scenes of New Zealand museums and galleries are offered by leading contemporary photographer Neil Pardington in his exhibition The Vault which features images revealing storage spaces that are normally closed to the public (including some at the Whanganui Regional Museum), exposing storehouses of memory and places filled with mystifying treasure.

They include photographs of animals and birds in taxidermy storerooms, paintings fastened to sliding storage walls, specimens in jars, rooms of mannequins, shelves of films in tins, taonga Maori, buildings full of army vehicles, textiles, card catalogues and much more.

Pardington (Kai Tahu, Kati Mamoe, Kati Waewae, Pakeha), whose association with museums began through his employment as designer/photographer at the Sarjeant Gallery, has exhibited nationally and internationally, and worked as a film-maker, artist and designer. He has steadily built a reputation as one of New Zealand's most highly regarded photographers, and his work is now represented in many of the country's major collections. This is a Christchurch Art Gallery Touring Exhibition.

The exhibition is on at the Sarjeant until March 4. The floor talk is at 11am on Saturday, February 4.

The image shows Neil Pardington's Large Mammal Storage Bay # 1, Canterbury Museum

The Two Countertenors
Xiao Ma and Stephen Diaz with Gao Ping, piano
5.30pm on Wednesday, February 22

Countertenor Xiao Ma is an artist-in-residence at the Confucius Institute at Victoria University of Wellington and is currently on a nine venue tour of New Zealand. At the Sarjeant Gallery he will be singing with emerging opera star Stephen Diaz who enthralled Wanganui audiences during recent New Zealand Opera School concerts.

Tickets $25, Gallery members $20, from the Sarjeant Gallery – tickets are limited. Phone (06) 349 0506.

If you’re aged between 12 – 24 years and want to speak up and be heard on behalf of Wanganui’s young people then we want to hear from you!

A number of our current Youth Councillors are moving on to pursue study in 2012 so we have about six seats becoming available.

The Youth Committee is made up of 18 young people selected to ‘speak up and be heard’ on all issues, on behalf of youth in the Wanganui district. This role is recognised by the Wanganui District Council’s official committee structure, which ensures the voice of the Youth Committee is heard and is able to influence Council’s decision making.

Taking part in the Youth Committee is a rewarding experience but it’s also a big commitment.  You must be available to attend formal meetings every six weeks (held Mondays from 4.00pm to 6.30pm) and also take part in regular meetings and working parties held at the Council or out and about. This can include anything from speaking up at a workshop, representing youth at forums or running the sausage sizzle at a youth event.

>Why do it?
You will ensure more informed decisions are made for young people and

• Be involved in organising or taking part in major events in and around the district
• Have your opinions heard and help make a difference
• It’s great experience to add to your CV
• Meet a variety of new people and make contact with other ambitious youth locally and nationally
• Be paid $50 for each formal meeting as well as gaining a variety of new skills
• Contribute to services and exciting projects and initiatives at Council and in the community.

If you’d like to find out more visit this page to download an application form, check out the profiles of our current Youth Councillors or ‘like’ the Wanganui District Council Youth Committee on Facebook.

You can also come along to the next Youth Committee meeting held at 4.00pm on Monday, February 13, in the Council Chamber, 101 Guyton Street to see the current committee in action.

The closing date for applications is 24 February 2012.

If you’ve got any questions or would like to have a chat about becoming a Youth Councillor contact Heather Cox, Youth Services Coordinator, phone (06) 349 0001, email Heather Cox.

Time is running out for Wanganui residents to have their say on the next stage of flood protection for our community.

Horizons Regional Council is seeking views on a proposal to build stopbanks in the Kowhai Park/Anzac Parade and Putiki areas. A newsletter outlining the proposals has been posted to Wanganui residents.

In 2009, following extensive consultation with the community, Horizons Regional Council began a staged programme of works to protect Wanganui from a 200-year flood.

Estimates put the flood damage cost of this scale of event at $141.4 million. 

Last year saw the completion of the first stage of work in the Balgownie area, which protects the industrial hub of Wanganui.  The Balgownie works have taken two years to complete and consist of 3.3km of new stopbanking, flood walls and temporary barriers.

"The risk of flooding in the Kowhai Park/Anzac Parade and Putiki areas from the Whanganui River is well-known and many Wanganui residents will remember the floods that inundated houses on Anzac Parade and prevented access to parts of our city," Mayor Annette Main said.

"Please take the time to read the newsletter and provide your feedback on the proposed works.

"Wanganui residents' input will be important to help Horizons to decide when, or whether, this protection work should be undertaken."

Submissions close on Friday, 3 February 2012.

You can find out more on Horizons Regional Council's website or call Horizons on 0508 800 800.

Use of sprinklers

Consumers are advised that automatic garden sprinklers can be used by all residents (irrespective of whether their house number is an odd or even number) between the following times:

7pm to 9pm     During the hours of daylight saving
6pm to 8pm     Outside the hours of daylight saving

Hand-held hoses can be used at any time.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Youth Committee – February 13 (4.00pm, Council Chamber)

Wanganui Rural Community Board – February 15 (4.00pm, Committee Room 2)

Infrastructure and Property – February 21 (2.00pm, Council Chamber)

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.

Details of opening hours for Council buildings and facilities on Waitangi Day, February 6, are available here (PDF, 8KB).