I am a relatively new boy on the block, moving to Whanganui about four years ago. One of my surprises about Whanganui is that there appears to be no residents' associations or lobby groups to work with the district and regional councils in order to identify concerns of the residents and to ensure that councillors make sound financial and practical decisions.
In Porirua, a comparable city where I came from, there were at least five residents' associations, practically one for every suburb. By using the term "resident" everyone in the city was included. People tend to forget that renters pay rates, indirectly with the rents they pay.
All have a vested interest in the facilities and services provided by the local councils, particularly the level of rates. The rates I pay in Whanganui are as high as those levied in Porirua, which was the highest in the Wellington region.
The residents' associations of Porirua were more than just lobby groups. There were sub-groups interested in preserving the history of their suburb. There were groups who would work with a dedicated council officer to prepare "village" development plans. Others were interested in beautifying their environment, establishing local children's sport and play facilities.
In Pukerua Bay where I lived, the residents' association took democracy to a higher level. Every household was deemed to be a member of the association. This meant that there was no exclusive group of residents making decisions that any household did not have an opportunity to have input. The association was funded by donations, grants and even an annual administration grant from the council. [Abridged]