Around the motu: Mike Tweed in Whanganui

This episode of RNZ's 'Around the Motu' features journalist Mike Tweed from the Whanganui Chronicle discussing several local stories from Whanganui. The first major topic is the decision by the city council to reject a proposed $15 door charge for out-of-town visitors to the Sargent Gallery, despite the $5 million annual operating cost being funded by ratepayers. The council voted 9-3 against the charge, citing concerns over a potential 50% drop in visitor numbers and the resulting economic impact on local cafes, restaurants, and retailers. The gallery, which reopened in 2024 after a $79 million redevelopment, remains free to access. Next, Tweed covers the winding down of the council-owned Pilot Training Academy, which faced setbacks from COVID-19, safety and quality investigations by the Civil Aviation Authority and NZQA, and ultimately a $11 million financial loss. The facility will be taken over by the NZAAL, and an independent review is now underway. A lighter story follows: a 70-year-old cockatoo was stolen from Virginia Lake Avery but was found the next day perched safely in the aviary. The bird, deemed too old and unfriendly to be valuable, was returned unharmed. The episode closes with a touching tribute to twin sisters Jen Jackson and Jan Morland, who turned 80 and were born three months premature in 1946, weighing just under two pounds each and not expected to survive. Their survival is described as a medical miracle, especially given the limited technology of the time. The episode ends on a reflective note about resilience and the power of simply 'getting on with it'.