Whanganui was awarded Most Beautiful Small City at the 2020 Keep NZ Beautiful Awards for the second year in a row. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui was awarded Most Beautiful Small City at the 2020 Keep NZ Beautiful Awards for the second year in a row. Photo / Bevan Conley
Whanganui can now look to capitalise on having the title of New Zealand's Most Beautiful Small City.
Whanganui won the award at Thursday night's Beautiful Awards after judges struggled to decide between Whanganui and Hamilton for the overall title.
They decided to split it up into Most Beautiful Large andSmall City, giving Whanganui back-to-back wins in the annual awards.
The Progress Castlecliff group were recognised for their work in beautifying the suburb, taking out the Community Group Award.
"It's really amazing to have a repeat. It's not an easy thing to do because we have to show continuous improvement," Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said.
Mayor Hamish McDouall said the award is credit to everyone in the Whanganui community. Photo / Lewis Gardner
Whanganui District Council will look to cash in on the award, hoping to draw in more domestic tourists and get people who usually travel on State Highway 1 to make the tour to come through the city.
"It's to say, 'look you probably haven't been to Whanganui for 20 years or longer, a lot has changed. We are really humming, we are really beautiful, come visit'," McDouall said.
Whanganui District councillor Helen Craig was hoping to get signage outside the city recognising the back-to-back victories.
"By us winning it twice in a row it will give it real credibility," she said.
Whanganui district councillor Helen Craig. Photo / File
"I was thrilled. You are always hopeful but you never know. Whanganui has worked so hard and we have done so much to keep Whanganui looking absolutely fabulous. It is really lovely to have that recognised again."
Secretary of Progress Castlecliff, Mary Ellen Goodsir, said it was not just the people on the committee, but also the Castlecliff community that does the work and they should be equally recognised.
"There are a lot of things we have our hand in, which is really satisfying in itself, but [we're] really excited for the recognition.
"We had a party at The Citadel last night and it was very good, well attended. It was a bit boisterous when we won."
Jonathan Sykes of Whanganui & Partners said the Beautiful City award is another string to Whanganui's bow.
"It provides us with an objective, credible endorsement as we project the wonderful image of Whanganui to the rest of New Zealand and the world. To win it last year was great and turned a few heads but twice shows that we are no flash in the pan. It provides that trust for people that may have not visited Whanganui recently that they really should come and take a look.
"We'll be soon commencing our next wave of tourism advertising, the largest we have ever had. This award will act as a proof point within that advertising. We've recently seen strong increases in tourism spending and we look forward to seeing it continue.
"It's so fantastic to have a group of people who put all that voluntary effort in to make such a difference for there community. I'm thrilled for them, it was well deserved."
Both Rangiora St and Victoria Ave were up for the Best Street award, but were pipped at the post by Cambridge's Victoria St.
"You can't win everything, every time. We will enter those streets again next year," Craig said,
"We are still left with beautiful streets, so we aren't losing."
McDouall thinks the keys to securing a three-peat will be to keep improving in areas such as waste management and minimalisation, continuing to assist community groups with suburban projects, and to build on the work done with heritage buildings around the city.
"Whether it is council, volunteers, community groups or individuals pursuing great ideas, it's a tribute to the entire community.
"We are the most beautiful small city in the most beautiful country in the world. That's not a bad thing at all."
