WELCOME FROM THE MAYOR
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Welcome from Mayor Hamish H
aere mai ki Whanganui.
Welcome to our city, a city of resilient people and bold innovative businesses, and a city with a unique relationship with tangata whenua that recognises their deep physical and spiritual connection to the Whanganui River.
And now Whanganui has won international recognition as a UNESCO City of Design, joining a network of creative cities that place culture and creativity at the heart of development. Whanganui is rich with centuries of indigenous Māori art and traditions of design thinking, from famed ornate waka to innovative hīnaki designs. We are a place where contemporary design and architecture abounds. Gracefully restored colonial villas, nationally significant gardens, eclectic art deco wonders and remarkable design one-offs, including the Durie Hill War Memorial Tower and New Zealand’s only public underground elevator, demonstrate how people have long brought their imagination and passion into the shaping of this place. We are so proud of our UNESCO achievement and we won’t be
stopping there! Our economic development agency will leverage opportunities for sharing design across all sectors, and our council’s town centre regeneration project continues to work with the community to create inviting public spaces where people can enjoy tasty local food against a backdrop of street art generated through our Whanganui Walls festival. The iconic Sarjeant Gallery Te Whare o Rehua holds more than 8300 artworks of national significance in the heart of our town centre. We’re also home to the Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics, the Whanganui Regional Museum, New Zealand Glassworks and the New Zealand Opera School. International accolades aside, we are thriving at the grassroots level too. Local artists inhabit studios across the city, independent galleries show new works and artisans share their wares at our welcoming River Markets – a great place to get to know Whanganui people on a Saturday morning. Enjoy live music? Our soundscape is fuelled by diverse musicians, all best enjoyed with a cold beverage
from one of several local craft-beer breweries in hand. The energy and enthusiasm in our business sector continues to see our local economy fly high and we are excited about the year ahead. The New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy will welcome more pilot training students from overseas in 2022. This proven boost for our regional profile has created jobs here and we also support new ventures and innovators through
