Questions are being raised about Whanganui District Council’s $62,000 logo redesign, with ratepayer advocates saying the full cost of the rebrand remains unknown and key details around the process are missing.
By Moana Ellis of Local Democracy Reporting
Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association chairwoman Rachael Woodhead said the more the group looked into the project, the more gaps appeared.
The council unveiled the new design in January, after research found most residents could not recall the council’s existing crest logo.
A total of $61,800 (excluding GST) had been spent on design alone, she Woodhead, but there was no estimate of the total lifecycle cost of rolling the new brand out across council assets.
No specific budget had been set aside to update council assets, she said.
"So at this point, the full cost to ratepayers is still unknown. That in itself should give people pause."
The council had said costs to update council branding would be managed by the relevant work area through existing budgets, Woodhead said.
The ratepayers' association was responding to the council’s reply to a request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.
Woodhead challenged a reference to savings linked to the project, the council saying it expected to save a further $120,000 from the communications and marketing budget over the next three years by continuing to find efficiencies "in everything we do".
Woodhead said that figure was not directly tied to the rebrand itself, leaving the overall financial impact on ratepayers unclear.
The association has also raised concerns about the process behind the redesign, including procurement and consultation.
The brand strategy and design were delivered by Auckland-based agency Extended Whānau, chosen for its local government experience and previous work on Whanganui’s UNESCO City of Design tohu and the redeveloped Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery. Extended Whānau was paid $61,800.
The ratepayers' group is seeking further information from the council, including the full estimated rollout cost, detailed survey results from Whanganui ratepayers and residents, and more clarity on how the procurement process was managed.
"This isn’t really about a logo. It’s about process, priorities and transparency around how ratepayer money is being used.
"Ratepayers should be able to see clearly how decisions like this are made and what they will ultimately cost."
Whanganui District Council has been approached for comment.
The new tohu features a stylised design referencing movement and energy, the Whanganui awa and the connections that shape the district, while also forming a distinctive "W".
In January, the council said it had spent more than $60,000 on the rebrand after research showed many residents could not recall its existing logo or clearly identify its role.
A total of $41,800 was spent on brand strategy, design and guidelines, and a further $20,000 on templates for stationery, advertising and presentations.
The council said at the time the costs were covered by existing budgets and the new branding would be rolled out gradually over two to five years.
Interim chief executive Barbara McKerrow said at the time the new design was intended to address longstanding confusion about the council’s role.
Research conducted in early 2025 found residents generally viewed the council as approachable, but many were unclear about its services and responsibilities.
Sixty per cent of respondents could not recall the council’s logo, while only 20% viewed the long-standing crest positively.
The council said its previous branding, centred on the historic Whanganui City Council crest granted in 1955, had become difficult to apply consistently across a wide range of services.
Communications and marketing manager Sarah Pomeroy said in January that physical updates such as signage and uniforms would only be made as items needed replacing, to minimise costs.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
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