Editorial: Kicking up a fuss gets real results

So, it turns out the people do have a voice after all.
In what's shaping up to be something of a landmark week for the public getting to have their say, the powerbrokers at Wellington International Airport have had a rethink about the Wellywood sign, while those in charge of the Highlanders Super Rugby franchise have admitted they may scrap plans to change the team's jersey if it has a negative effect on fan numbers.
The Wellywood sign is an embarrassment and it beggars belief that those pushing this idea have failed to grasp the irony: a sign meant to celebrate and promote one of the capital's most creative industries has to resort to ripping off an established emblem from halfway across the world.
Almost as staggering is the abject failure of those at the airport to understand the depth of feeling against the sign. A Facebook group titled "Wellingtonians against the Wellywood Sign" has more than 26,000 members. Another group, also protesting the sign, has more than 15,000 people on board.
The airport claims its decision to set up an independent panel to devise alternative ideas for the sign, while allowing for community input, was not influenced by radical protests, but rather by "moderate" locals.
What rubbish.
It's pretty hard to ignore so-called "radicals" when they're conducting a drive-by protest outside your airport.
It can only be hoped that the ructions over the Wellywood sign decision have made it far enough south that the Highlanders' board take notice.
The team is expected to debut its new jersey, rumoured to be predominantly green, for tonight's match at Carisbrook, before adopting it next season.
While the decision to scrap the Highlanders' traditional blue, gold and maroon colours may appear to be only of interest to those south of Christchurch, or misplaced Southerners who somehow found their way to the North Island, what the jersey change represents is a triumph of commercial ambition and promotional puffery over heritage.
Although the Highlanders have a new coach, largely new players and, soon, a new stadium, that's no reason to turn away from the provinces, and more importantly those fans who have sustained the team for the past 15 years.
Highlanders general manager Roger Clark is admitting to surprise at the level of reaction against the jersey change and is not ruling out a backdown.
Here's hoping a backdown is exactly what happens.
The message is clear: make enough noise and, sometimes, you might actually be listened to.
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editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz