Wanganui has had its share of bad press in recent years but a survey of how others see us shows that many of those negative perceptions are being cast off.
The latest biennial national perceptions survey - commissioned by Wanganui District Council - showed mostly positive results when it was presented this week.
Research Solutions questioned 780 New Zealanders and its representative, Roger Larkins, told councillors that scores for most questions had improved, and had been improving since the surveys started in 2009.
Housing affordability has risen 29 per cent (to 79 per cent this year) over that period. Likewise, there has been significantincreases in Wanganui being seen as a place rich in heritage and culture.
The city is increasingly viewed as a place without traffic congestion, where the people are friendly, there are events for the whole family and lots of arts activity.
Hand-in-hand with home affordability, Wanganui is increasingly seen as a good place to raise a family (up 16 per cent to 56 per cent since 2009) and having a pleasant climate.
Education opportunities, the range of leisure activities and access to quality healthcare are other positive perceptions.
But in the past two years the perceptionof Wanganui as a progressive,forward-thinking place with job opportunities has doubled (to 28 per cent) although business and job opportunities have remained about the same (23 per cent).
"Wanganui as a place offering businessopportunities has increased and there's been a marginal increase in the numbers who said they would like to live here," Mr Larkins said.
As for the negative perceptions, he said the key indicators had all shown a marked decline since the survey in 2013. These included the "H" debate, gang patches, former mayor Michael Laws and media coverage of convicted sex offender Stewart Murray Wilson.
"The odour issue at the wastewater treatment plant was there two years ago but now it hasn't even registered," he said. Mayor Annette Main said the results gave the council a clear indicationof what messages it wanted to "get out there".
"Combined with our own community views survey, it gives us very good information on how people here and abroad view us," Ms Main said.
The information will be used by the council's economic arm, Whanganui and Partners, to help form its programme and strategies.