"This includes general routine and cyclic maintenance such as repairing expansion joints and itemised rust repairs. Despite being old, the bridge is robust and reliable."
Advances in technology have made it easier for council roading staff to monitor the bridge and determine its wear.
"We now regularly fly a drone over and under the bridge to video and survey components that were too difficult to reach in the past without closing the bridge and disrupting users.
"We are also planning a ground-penetrating radar survey of the bridge that will give us a better picture of its structure and surrounds."
Whanganui District Council assured the public that Dublin St Bridge is safe despite appearances.
Photo / Bevan Conley
August 10
Whanganui's property prices were on the rise but the city was one of only a few in the country where the cost of a mortgage remained cheaper than renting in the suburbs.
Figures from OneRoof and its data partner Valocity compared rent levels with mortgage payments around the country to see if there are some places where it's cheaper to buy a home.
Whanganui, Invercargill and Rotorua came out tops for having the biggest share of suburbs where owning a home is a better bet than paying someone else's mortgage.
The figures didn't take into account the rate cut or include additional housing expenditure like insurance and maintenance costs. It assumed a 20 per cent deposit.
"The lower mortgage rates currently being advertised by the banks are unlikely to last the length of a 30 year loan so the calculations were done on 5 per cent interest rate to give a more accurate figure," Vaughan said.
August 17
The managing director of the company pulling down the fire-ravaged Thain's building said the structure is "fragile".
"You touch one piece and the whole building moves," Central Demolition's Ian Butcher said.
Workers were being very careful as demolition of the building at 1 Victoria Ave continued.
The entire interior of the building at the southern end had been gutted, and nothing was left to support the walls, Butcher said.
"It is a lime mortar brick construction with bond beams around it and the bond beams have been tied in a full circle around the building.
"You touch one piece and the whole building moves. We've got to get all the brick work off, then try and nibble through the bond beams to break them cleanly away."
Thain's building caught fire on July 20, in a blaze that took 65 central firefighters more than four hours to put out.
The blaze injured two men and significantly disrupted the lives of 10 tenants who had to move their businesses, or lost them entirely, as well as valuable possessions.
The Thain building on Taupo Quay was demolished after being gutted by fire in July.
Photo / Bevan Conley
August 31
Whanganui sisters Wendy Allwright and Tracey Eades set up their new business Graveside Care Whanganui, providing a service for people who are unable to tend the graves of their loved ones.
"The service is for those who aren't physically able to drive or take care of the grave themselves and for people who are in other parts of the country or the world," Allwright said.
"There's only so much that Interflora can do.
"We are Whanganui people - even our great-grandparents are buried up at Aramoho.
"We are up there a lot anyway and we could see the need. We see some graves that are in such disarray so we thought people would be interested that we could take care of the graves if they can't. It's a nice job to do for people."
The service includes removing litter and spent flowers, gentle cleaning of the memorial and cleaning of flower containers, placing fresh flowers and emailing a photo to the client.
