I love the pride Nelsonians take in our city, the can-do spirit and that our people and businesses are prepared to give their time and money to help make our city better. It’s what next week’s Spring Clean, led by whatifnelson.co.nz, is all about.
It would be easy to let our city go backwards when it has had the toughest winter in decades. Households, businesses and Council have all been hit by high inflation and interest rates. The risk is letting these financial pressures undermine our civic pride and allowing our city to become scruffy. That’s why I opposed scrapping the hanging flower baskets from Council’s budget and why I back this community Spring Clean initiative. It’s about “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”.
This cleanup campaign has come from the What If Whakatū Nelson group and the City Revitalisation Summit, held in March, that sought ideas on improving our city. Three taskforces were formed to progress the ideas, two of which are led by Council and focused on major projects in the CBD and waterfront. The third, a community taskforce led by Architect Brian Riley, is driving this cleanup. Its membership includes organisations such as our Chamber of Commerce, Arts Council Nelson, Environment Centre, and What If Whakatū Nelson as well as Councillors. Make/Shift Spaces Incorporated is co-ordinating the Spring Clean project.
The cleanup starts this Saturday and involves washing away the dirt and grime, removing graffiti, sweeping entrances and footpaths, weeding and planting the garden spaces, shining the windows, repainting tired walls and bringing more art into the city.
I commend Nelson Electricity Ltd on partnering with the Make/Shift Spaces and Arts Council Nelson as part of the Spring Clean with art works on selected power boxes around the city. I also thank the other partners alongside Council such as Nelmac, RCP, Rockquest Promotions, McDonald’s, and Elevated Events.
I encourage other property owners, businesses, community organisations and volunteers to get involved by registering at www.whatifnelson.co.nz and join the Picnic Day, from 11am to 3pm on Sunday 20 October at Anzac Park. Together, we can spruce up our city and shake off the winter blues.
