, while the Wanganui District Council is looking at different ways to use empty shops to revitalise the town centre. “We may not be seeing as many retailers in the central business district as we have done traditionally, but it doesn’t mean our local economy is in decline,” she pointed out. “Whanganui and Partners has been working with local companies to review supply chains and identify any suppliers from outside of Whanganui to see if they can work with established operations here. Other target sectors and companies have been identified and business cases are being developed to pitch to them.” Mayor Main said the  council is also working to revitalise the town centre by creating a centrally located library complex and an innovation quarter for knowledge economy entrepreneurs. “The knowledge economy makes use of ultrafast broadband, which is available to every business and household in our district to create sophisticated production and employment opportunities for highly skilled people.” Mainstreet Wanganui, which represents organisations in the town centre, is also taking advantage of the increased space. “We have groups of artists and other innovators beginning to take leases on premises, which have been empty,” explained Main. “Other town centres around the world which have lost retail space because of changes to the industry have developed hubs in the centre of town to revitalise the area with great success. As an innovative and creative district, we are aware of changes to traditional retail and are already making moves to create the kind of buzzing, community hub we want to see in future.” However, TV and and radio host Garner reckons Wanganui is a city in decline. And his comments on a radio show have fuelled controversy. Garner highlighted the fact there were 35 empty shops up for lease or sale in Wanganui’s city centre and said: “The signs are clear that it is a city in decline.” Councillor Ray Stevens took umbrage to Garner’s comments and suggested that council could retaliate. “The program is called the Westpac Grassroots Road Trip – this is the same bank which trumpets the fact that it’s ‘the bank that’s helping NZ businesses grow’,” he said. “If that’s Westpac’s way of helping grassroots New Zealand, then I’m going to suggest that our council stops using Westpac and takes its business elsewhere. “The program may not have talked about Wanganui being a zombie town, but this was just another way of someone putting the boot into us.”