Wanganui Chronicle
Sales likely after port property review
Areview of Whanganui Port’s property portfolio is under way, with parts of it likely to be sold. Port chairman Mark Petersen said the portfolio was mixed, including vacant land, part of the Whanganui riverbed and ground leases. “Some is non-income...
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Fundraising push to revive Fordell pool
Acommunity is rallying to secure the future of its pool. The Fordell Community Pool is closed this season because the pump is not able to circulate the water, which posed a health and safety risk for users. Sarah Thompson, of the Fordell Community...
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Percy’s exhilarating ride
Amotorcycling icon will be celebrated in Whanganui this month, 100 years after he launched his first shop. Percy Coleman opened Percy Coleman and Co on Guyton St in late November 1925 as a Harleydavidson dealer. The business later became the New...
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Vintage Weekend set to rock the region
It’s almost time to break out the petticoats and newsboy caps in Whanganui. Vintage Weekend 2026 runs from January 16 to January 19, over Wellington Anniversary Weekend. “If there’s any weekend that Whanganui as a whole kind of gets together and does...
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Fishing frenzy prompts safety reminders
Coastguard Whanganui is reminding boaties to check essentials on their vessels after a near record day on the water. The organisation took 120 trip reports and towed five boats back-toback on Monday. Lead radio operator Paul Ellen said another 12...
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Keeping out of trouble
Beachgoers in Whanganui have been staying out of trouble so far this summer. Whanganui Surf Lifeguard Service lifeguard co-ordinator Olivia Bedwell said the majority of people had “been taking on our advice”. “There are always a couple of people who...
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Foodbank demand grows
Despite a manageable festive period, Whanganui foodbanks have noticed an increase in demand for food. Koha Shed founder Sherron Sunnex said the lead-up to Christmas was “a little bit more of a struggle” to manage. The organisation held its 10th annual...
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Beware of summer dangers
The summer season poses unique risks for many pets. Here, the SPCA and a Whanganui veterinarian share how people can work to keep their furry friends safe. The main risks over summer are heat, sun exposure, safety around outdoor activities,...
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Law’s ‘crazy’ business plan
Whanganui’s deputy mayor has launched an innovation hub in the central city, with a lofty goal for new businesses. Michael Law signed the lease for a near-1200sq m space at 120 Victoria Ave, and says Hive HQ is filling fast. It offers a boardroom,...
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Ruapehu road repairs set to cost up to $14m
The Ruapehu District Council is set to invest between $10 million—$14 million over the next few years to repair roads damaged by severe weather. The council expects the work to take “several years” as around 1000 sites throughout the district are...
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‘Life is what you make it’
Helen Cooper has been awarded a King’s Service Medal (KSM) in the New Year 2026 Honours List for her service to the Bulls community over the past four decades. Cooper (Ngā ti Hauiti, Ngā ti Kahungunu, Te Ā tiawa) moved to Bulls from Maungatapere, near...
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Skycouch fiasco prompts apology from airline
AKiwi traveller has received an apology from Air New Zealand’s chief executive after her Skycouch seat was cancelled without notification and she had to be helped off a longhaul flight in a wheelchair with severely swollen legs. Whanganui woman Barb...
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Former builder's big fashion punt
The man rebooting a forgotten Whanganui fashion label is hunting for people who played a part in its history. Nikolai Solakof, a former builder from Wā naka, is making regular visits to the city as he prepares a documentary on Oscar Eide. Solakof’s...
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Navigating summer water risks
Whanganui features at least four types of water bodies with their own unique dangers: the beaches along Whanganui’s coastline, the river and freshwater spots such as Lake Wiritoa, and swimming pools. “Any form of water is a potential risk,” Water...
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Much-loved farrier dies in polo accident
Friends and family are remembering a farrier and polo player as a “true legend” after he died in a horse accident during a match. Kevin Schimanski, 88, died in Cambridge last Friday when a horse knocked him to the ground while playing...
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Mystery fire razes hut
Awell-known 12-bunk hut in Whanganui National Park has been razed by a mysterious fire, leaving rangers “gutted” and prompting a call for trampers to stay fire safe. Pouri Hut was destroyed by a fire on December 11. The hut is located at a critical...
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‘Like having a toddler'
The Whanganui public is being urged to think before buying puppies as Christmas gifts. Whanganui District Council compliance officer, educator and pound keeper Marieke Waghorn said getting a dog was a 15-plus year commitment. “People just don’t...
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Funding boost to fix ageing school sites
Eight Whanganui schools will have a maintenance funding boost next year, with more to follow. Government funding for Carlton, Castlecliff, Kākātahi, Mosston, Okoia, Ū pokongaro, Waitō tara and Whanganui East schools is increasing from $30/sq m to...
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Bridge hailed a ‘game changer’
The Upokongaro Bridge near Whanganui has been hailed as a “game changer” since its opening five years ago. More than 366,000 people have crossed the Whanganui River on the $3.4 million bridge on foot or by bike. Nearly 130,000 people crossed the...
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Man given son’s mental health meds
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora is investigating after a Whanganui man was given antipsychotic medication intended for his son, who has the same name. The health authority has acknowledged the man received and took medication intended for his son and was “sorry...
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Ā tihau-Whanganui returns to profit
One of the country’s largest farming operations has returned to profit with a $9.7 million after-tax surplus, reversing two consecutive lossmaking years. The Māori-owned Atihau-Whanganui ¯ Incorporation has more than 9000 shareholders and 42,000...
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Demolition set to begin at former school site
Work to get rid of buildings at the former St George’s School site in Whanganui will begin next month. Palmerston North-based ARC Asbestos Removal and Demolition is in charge of the project. In a letter to residents near the Grey St site, the company...
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Crews battle uncontained forest fire
Afire at Lismore Forest near Whanganui has not yet been contained. On Monday afternoon, Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews remained at the fire, which started on Sunday. In a Facebook post on Sunday night, Manawatū-Whanganui Fire and Emergency said...
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Food crisis warning
Whanganui is in the midst of a food crisis and a support agency is warning it can’t continue to meet the need under its current model. The “sobering” message from City Mission Whanganui manager Dr Antony Nobbs was presented at a Whanganui District...
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‘Keep our city vibrant’
Retailers in the Whanganui area have started to notice an increase in customers as the festive season takes shape. They hoped the trend of customers buying local would continue into the new year. Mainstreet Whanganui general manager Charlie Meyerhoff...
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Mayors brace for major planning law shake-up
Whanganui’s mayor says the council must embrace local government changes as another piece of legislation heads its way. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced this week the Resource Management Act (RMA) would be replaced by the Planning Act and a...
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Contamination delays port redevelopment
Contamination continues to hamper the Whanganui Port redevelopment, with an extra $1.213 million spent in the last financial year. Whanganui Port Limited Partnership (WPLP) chairman Mark Petersen said the organisation acknowledged an increase in...
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It’s been a game changer
On a sports field in Whanganui, a group of parents and children gather for a sports practice unlike most others in town. Sense Rugby has been operating in Whanganui for the past two years. An occupational therapy-led rugby programme, it offers...
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‘Here to stay and grow’: Ucol boss backs campus
Ucol’s new chief executive is “trusted, strategic and deeply committed” to its future. Jasmine Groves was the Universal College of Learning’s operations lead and spent almost five years on its executive leadership team before being appointed to the new...
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‘A GESTURE OF COURAGE’
Years of Treaty settlement negotiations have come to a close at Parliament as Whanganui hapū representatives initialled He Rau Tukutuku, their deed of settlement with the Crown. Lead negotiator Ken Mair said the ceremony marked a major milestone in a...
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‘It was just mayhem’
Levin’s Bill Walker never expected to be able to say he survived a powerful tornado. When the 64-year-old parked his 4.5m caravan at Rangitīkei’s Dudding Lake Motorcamp and Picnic Park on Monday, he didn’t imagine he’d take a trip to Whanganui Hospital...
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Repeat illegal dumping rife at rural sites
Whanganui District Council will reassess its rural rubbish service, with audits showing more than half the materials collected could have been diverted from landfill. Speaking to the Whanganui Rural Community Board, council waste officer John Sula...
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‘Government won’t take any prisoners’
Mayors say the Government’s proposal to cap rates rises is not a surprise and councils are “well aware of the need to be affordable”. This week Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Local Government Minister Simon Watts said consultation would begin...
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‘Bad fellas doing their Christmas shopping'
Whanganui Police’s new rural liaison officer says there is an underreporting of crime as farmers think police “aren’t going to be interested” in investigating incidents. Christian Hogan, who took over the role from Keith Butters, told the Whanganui...
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Safety investment
Whanganui District Council is set to begin a $100,000 upgrade of its customer service area. Council chief experience officer Catherine Dutton said it was a “necessary safety-related investment”. Former chief executive David Langford had investigated...
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Kirton: Reforms welcome if they deliver savings
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton says the Government’s proposed regional council overhaul will be welcomed if the reforms genuinely reduce costs and boost efficiency. “Local government wants and needs greater efficiencies and lower rates and, if the...
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Horizons chair challenges council shakeup INSIDE
Mayors were not elected to provide regional oversight on environmental regulation or to design a new regional council model, Horizons Regional Council chairwoman Nikki Riley says. A Government proposal to scrap elected regional councillors and replace...
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Uncertain losses hang over pilot academy
Whanganui’s commercial pilot academy had negative equity of close to $5 million at the end of the 2024-25 financial year. But it is “too early to predict” what the final financial loss will be when it closes next year. According to financial...
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‘A to-and-fro with NZTA’
The possible reallocation of Government funds could green-light two Whanganui bridge replacements next year. But if that does not happen, Whanganui District Council may have to wait until 2027. Council roading manager Mark Allingham said present value...
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Joint water entity moves one step closer
Atwo-council water services entity for 25,000 connections is one step closer, with the Department of Internal Affairs approving a plan from Whanganui and Ruapehu District councils. All councils had to submit a water services delivery plan (WSDP) by...
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Council revives plan for central city hotel
Whanganui District Council is looking for developers and operators to deliver a hotel in the central city, 18 months after scrapping plans to build one itself. A council listing on the Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS) website said it was...
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‘Beyond expectation’
Abrand new electric hybrid ferry from Q-West Boat Builders is leaving Whanganui for Auckland this month. The vessel, costing about $20 million, will be used by Auckland Transport. Q-West began the work in 2022. Chief executive Colin Mitchell said it...
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Rā hui set as fire eases
Evacuated residents have been able to return home as the firefighters continue to battle the blaze which has torn through at least 2800ha of Tongariro National Park. Fire and Emergency Manawatū Whanganui District Commander Kaiwhakahaere Takiwa, Nigel...
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Massive wildfire rips through Tongariro park
Aresort owner reported seeing flames about 30 metres high as a wildfire tore through more than 1600ha of the Tongariro National Park. The blaze broke out shortly after 3pm on Saturday, near the State Highway 47 and SH48 junction on the western side of...
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‘Incredibly challenging situation’
The New Zealand Aviation Academy will be charged around $829,000 annually to lease facilities in Whanganui, as the council prepares “a transition plan” for its predecessor. Last month, the Chronicle reported that Whanganui District Council, the sole...
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Lack of funding a ‘kick in the teeth’
The country’s only dedicated studio ceramics museum has closed, 10 years to the day after it opened its doors in Whanganui. Founder Rick Rudd opened the Quartz Museum of Studio Ceramics in 2015 after selling his house in Castlecliff and using the money...
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Council admits blunder over assembly secrecy
Whanganui District Council has admitted it made a mistake in setting up its first citizens’ assembly, conceding members were not told they would be thrust into the public spotlight. The admission follows an Ombudsman investigation into the council’s...
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NZ law wins global award
A New Zealand law grounded in Māori values is being held up as a world-leading example of legal reform for future generations. The Te Awa Tupua (Whanganui River Claims Settlement) Act 2017 has been recognised as a model for “living in harmony with...
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$10.8m boost to complete bike trails
Central North Island leaders are welcoming a $10.8 million Government funding boost for tourism. The Government will fund the progression of Te Hangāruru and the completion of Te Ara Mangawhero cycle trails in Ruapehu in an effort to build “regional...
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‘I am fully sending it’
A Marton resident will sport her neon pink gumboots when she runs to New Plymouth for Gumboot Friday and her 14-year-old self to raise awareness for mental health. Gumboot Friday is an initiative by mental health charity I Am Hope that provides...
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A ‘reflection of our community’
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe has begun his second term celebrating what he called a “reflection of our community” — a new council that includes the district’s first Māori ward councillors. Tripe, councillors and community board members were sworn in...
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‘We tried our best’
Tenants of Whanganui innovation hub The Backhouse have been told to vacate the building. Backhouse trustee Gaelle Deighton said tenants and the trust received a letter from Te Pūkenga last week. The property is owned by the Universal College of...
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Yo ho ho . . . pirate ship parks up for adventure
The Ohakune Carrot Adventure Park is about to get a new pirate ship and part of it has travelled a long way. Its base is a lifeboat from the Russian cruise liner Mikhail Lermontov, which sank in February 1986 after hitting a rock in the Port Gore...
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IT’S A DONE DEAL
amaru-based flight school New Zealand Airline Academy Ltd will set up a base in Whanganui next year, after signing a deal with Whanganui District Council. Director Celroy Mascarenhas said the New Zealand Airline Academy Ltd (NZAAL) would move into...
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Whakapapa — ‘what a ride’
Ski season has wrapped up on Mt Ruapehu with mixed reports of success from operators and businesses. Tūroa ski field’s last weekend of action was October 18-19 and Whakapapa’s last day was October 25. Pure Tūroa Limited chief executive Jono Dean said...
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DIY rush sparks warning from ACC
With Labour weekend marking the summer DIY and gardening season, ACC is urging people to take steps to avoid injury. In 2024, ACC accepted 4136 DIY, gardening and lawnmower injury claims in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, totalling more than $8.6...
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Ratepayers’ $1 million storm recovery bill
Ruapehu District Council says ratepayers could face a recovery bill of more than $1 million after three major weather events in five months left widespread damage across the district. Council infrastructure manager and Civil Defence response manager...
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March a message to Govt
Hundreds of public sector workers in Whanganui joined a nationwide strike for better working conditions and pay. Among them were teachers, nurses, doctors, firefighters and learning support staff calling upon the Government to better fund vital public...
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Food drive donations down significantly
Donations to the City Mission Foodbank Drive 2025 were down by about half on the number made in 2024, while the need for food support in Whanganui has doubled. Despite the drop in donation numbers, organisers said the turnout from the community was...
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‘No one walks alone’
The Hīkoi of Hope kaupapa aims to unite the people of Whanganui to raise awareness of issues that New Zealanders are facing in 2025. The event is set for November 28 from midday to 2pm, starting from Pākaitore Moutoa Gardens and ending at the Whanganui...
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Historic manor forced to stop events
Maungaraupi Country Estate has had to cancel bookings after a liquor licence application revealed the property is zoned for residential, not commercial activity. It means the heritage manor cannot host weddings, gatherings, tours or paid visits and...
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‘Ducks lined up’
A $7.88 million boost is on its way to complete resilience work at Whanganui’s South Mole. The money comes from the Government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund, with Horizons Regional Council providing up to $5.25m. Horizons, a partner in Te Pū waha —...
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Health trust signs 21-year lease for old St George’s School site
A21-year lease has been signed for the former St George’s School property in Whanganui. Health provider Te Oranganui Trust will turn the site into a health and wellness hub after Whanganui District Council pays for asbestos removal and deconstruction...
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‘It's the last thing we want to do'
Whanganui firefighters will take industrial action as part of a nationwide effort to ignite bargaining talks with Fire and Emergency NZ. The planned strike is from noon to 1pm today. Whanganui’s New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU)...
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Construction begins on Ō hakea Defence homes
The construction of five homes in Bulls for Base Ō hakea personnel is under way as part of the Government’s largest Defence housing project in decades. Associate Defence Minister and Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced last month...
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Champ returns to track where dream began
Top New Zealand athlete and world champion George “Geordie” Beamish has taken a trip down memory lane with a visit to Whanganui. Beamish is coming off the back of a historic victory in the World Athletics Championships 3000m steeplechase race in Tokyo...
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‘On our way to good things'
Atight 25-22 win over the Ngāti Porou East Coast Hamoterangi in the final last month wrapped up an impressive third season for the Whanganui Women’s rugby team in the North Island Heartland Series. “Our campaign as a whole was 13 weeks from go to...
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‘They’ve given us the mandate’
Andrew Tripe is set on making Whanganui “an even better place to live” after winning a second term as mayor. Saturday’s progress results showed him with a 3500-vote lead over councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay, who called to congratulate him that...
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It’s bigger than just bitumen
Work is set to start on a 600-metre link road in Whanganui, and the project is bigger than just bitumen. Pingao Drive will run between Fitzherbert Ave and Fox Rd, with earthworks for the $5 million project, carried out by Downer, beginning on October...
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Paddleboat up for sale
A118-year-old paddleboat is on the market in Whanganui but it is a long way off being river-worthy again. The Otunui, built in 1907 by Hatrick and Co, is owned by Bridge to Nowhere Lodge operators Mandy Jackson and Joe Adam. The couple had it...
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Medical students could train in Whanganui
New Zealand Graduate School of Medicine students could get placements in Whanganui and its surrounding districts. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between multiple parties to explore the possibility of training in areas such as...
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‘Nothing to be ashamed of’
A Whanganui 10-year-old hopes his experience with dyslexia can help others. Dyslexia is a neurological difference that affects learning to read, write or do number work. Keelan Mackie, in his last year at Mosston Primary School, said he was behind in...
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‘Horrific’: Log-truck damage to road feared
Rangitīkei District Council is concerned about more damage to the NapierTaihape Rd if logging trucks return to the route. At present, logs are carried by rail to Napier’s port but that arrangement is scheduled to finish in January. At September’s...
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Volunteer honoured for 75 years with St John
Whanganui’s Betty Simpson has been honoured for her 75 years of service and dedication to Hato Hone St John. She is the current longest-serving, active New Zealand Order member of St John. The 92-year-old was recognised and awarded her gold bar at a...
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‘Considerable safety risk’
Freedom campers have been “dumping rubbish and toileting” along Whanganui River Road, but the whole stretch will soon be off-limits to them. The change comes as part of Whanganui District Council’s new freedom camping bylaw, signed off at a meeting...
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