Editorial: Flood of ideas on a better image

Simon Waters

We were once known as a bit of a saucy town (wink, wink).

Then as a prison city.

And for gangs.

Now, according to a perception survey out this week, we are known for our "H" and our floods.

An improvement, one might argue, but nonetheless far from being known for something positive.

So here's an idea, actually three:

1. Turn every public car parking meter into an electric vehicle recharging station. Provide cheap, plentiful charging, turn a profit, announce to the world that Whanganui is leading-edge -- and not just with fibre.

2. Insist (through bylaws) all new housing must have a solar roof, and provide incentives to retro-fit others.

Build a wave station at Castlecliff, wind turbines on the hills, lay solar-collecting footpaths in public areas, and connect everyone to a series of suburban battery banks which are load-balancing, meaning you put in what you don't use and draw from when you need a top-up.

These will provide cheap energy, make a tidy income for ratepayers, and return ownership of key infrastructure to the people.

3. Don't charge people to live here -- pay them instead.

Okay, so I'm no accountant, and this may be tricky.

But with a bit of creative thinking, this may not be as ridiculous as it sounds.

We've got big monies flowing in from our city power scheme, right? What better way to make a prosperous city even more so? Give people money to spend.

Start by committing to a staggered rates reduction over something like 20-30 years.

That will bring more than campervans here.

Maybe one day we will pay ratepayers (we'll need another word for that) a dividend, instead of mailing them a bill.

A bit far-fetched? Maybe.

But well done, Whanganui, for being thought of a little less negatively than we used to be.