Whanganui aims to make it three in a row as NZ's Most Beautiful City

Whanganui is again in the running to be crowned New Zealand's Most Beautiful City. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui will attempt a historic three-peat as it looks to defend its title of New Zealand's Most Beautiful City.

Whanganui continues to be recognised by the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards, being revealed as one of two finalists in the Most Beautiful Small City category, along with Hastings.

Whanganui was last year's winner of Most Beautiful Small City and Hastings won Most Beautiful Large Town as well as the Supreme Award.

A change in the judging criteria this year puts them up against each other.

The Beautiful Awards, which have been held annually since 1972, are New Zealand's longest-running sustainability awards and provide a benchmark for environmental excellence.

The finalists in the Towns & Cities category had to demonstrate the sustainable and environmentally conscious action taken by their council in the past 12 months across the key areas of litter prevention and waste minimisation, community beautification, recycling projects, sustainable tourism and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall said it was great to be recognised for the work the council had done over the last 12 months.

"It will be great to get the gong again. But equally, we have worked pretty hard. The thing about the awards, it's for continuous improvement, you can't rest of your laurels.

"It actually gets harder every year, as it should."

Mayor Hamish McDouall said to be in the running for Most Beautiful City three years in a row is pretty special. Photo / Bevan Conley

McDouall said the work done around the restoration of heritage buildings and tree plantings, litter and waste minimisation initiatives, the Drews Ave redevelopment, the Durie Hill elevator facelift and walkways through Kowhai Park all added up to becoming a finalist for the award again.

"All these things add up to a sum of a more liveable city to enjoy."

Jonathan Sykes, strategic lead marketing at Whanganui & Partners, said winning New Zealand's Most Beautiful Small City for two consecutive years, and being a finalist again, showed Whanganui was maintaining its reputation as a great place to live, visit and work.

"We know enthusiasm and pride are high in Whanganui and being a finalist again is a reflection of both how the country sees us, and of how people here present our city and work towards maintaining and adding to all of the things that make Whanganui great.

"The accolade contributes to our ability to attract visitors and forms an association in the public's mind, especially since the title is current and we have again made the finalists' list."

Whanganui & Partners strategic lead marketing Jonathan Sykes said having the title of Most Beautiful Small City was a great thing to market. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui & Partners used the Most Beautiful title on many visual advertising platforms and referred to it when promoting Whanganui, Sykes said.

"It is a valuable resource in our efforts towards visitor attraction and encouraging businesses and newcomers to Whanganui and has formed a key part of our recent and largest advertising campaign to date. It is a well recognised award and is highly valued by the cities awarded the title."

While being nominated and recognised with an award did not specifically bring people to Whanganui, McDouall said it kept the town in people's minds and showed Whanganui's continual development.

"Having a medal doesn't necessarily bring people to Whanganui, but what it does is make sure we are not out of consideration," McDouall said.

"I met someone the other day that is relocating here in the next few weeks. They wanted to downsize from the metro and went looking at all the places that people suggested like Nelson, Wairarapa and Blenheim. And whilst they are all nice areas, they kept folding back to Whanganui.

"I think that is a very clear endorsement of actually trying to get awards like this."

Rangitīkei's Dudding Lake is a finalist in the Kiwis Choice category.

"This award celebrates Kiwis' favourite public spot in New Zealand, whether that be a beach, a park, a look out, a waterfall, a lake or a walking track," Keep New Zealand Beautiful chief executive officer Heather Saunderson said.

"If it is a spot that is open to the public then it is eligible to be nominated to win this award. Anyone in New Zealand can nominate his or her favourite spot to win the Kiwis Choice Award."

The winners will be announced at the Beautiful Ball at The Domes, Auckland Zoo on Thursday, October 28.