Negativity suffocating our potential

SO I was in Auckland last week for a funeral and given it was a sombre occasion, my usual sunny disposition was on holiday. You can imagine the challenge which presented itself when a couple of people (Aucklanders), rather than remember the friend we had just farewelled, launched into "Wanganui-bashing".

I'm now used to this. My farewell from Auckland almost became a comedy roast from some friends and colleagues who, wrongly, believed Wanganui was a gang town and joked that I was leaving to become a prospect. Notwithstanding, I saw more gang patches on Auckland's North Shore than I have ever seen in Wanganui.

Dictionary publishers might soon receive from me a submission to insert "Wanganui-bashing" into the lexicon. Why? Because it appears to be a unique behaviour reserved for us as a community and, invariably, is conducted by uninformed people who don't live here and who either visited once or twice or have even never been here at all.

And why are we singled out? What have we done to deserve this reputation which is bad for business and drives away new residents, investors and visitors?

The latest smack in the face for our reputation is this "Beast of Blenheim" carry-on which unfortunately has repositioned our city negatively in the national consciousness and instigated the conversations I speak of above.

I am as disappointed as anyone about this vermin being foisted on us and the apparent lack of consultation from the Parole Board and Corrections (PB&C;). I don't want him here. But I have to ask why is it that no one gives attention to the environmental drivers which created his foul legend? Why does Wanganui get a bad rep out of this?

I lay some of this at the feet of the decision-makers because by placing SMW here in the gaze of a sensationalist media, they have inadvertently labelled this community negatively. This comes in spite of the fact criminals who serve their time are released into the community, nationwide, every day. The profile of this offender required a more considered public consultation and media approach, which clearly PB&C; need to figure out. A tip for them, when delivering bad news saying "we sympathise" just doesn't cut it.

Many also say that "the law is an ass", and in this case it is, offenders such as this shouldn't be coming out in the first place.

The rest is with the media. Our concerns as a community are valid but we have been presented badly by the media. And while there will always be a predisposition in that industry to give "legs" to negative stories, our collective ability to take this community forward will always be curtailed by labels which come out of sensational and negative reporting.

There are so many great things happening here, it's time more of that was reported.

Zenith Solutions is a Wanganui-based management consulting practice. It specialises in providing strategic planning, business process improvement and financial management services. Contact russell@manageable.co.nz or phone 021-244-2421.