The Mayor of Nelson, Aldo Miccio reluctantly handed over the coveted trophy and broad-brimmed hat which acknowledges the town’s status as the country’s sunniest centre.

Mayor Tony Bonne is visiting “cloudy Nelson” for family reasons this week and took great pleasure in uplifting the spoils of victory from Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio today [11 January].

“In early-2011, Nelson presented Whakatāne with a trophy and hat proclaiming us as the winner of the sunshine stakes for 2010,” Mr Bonne says. “We had to give them back last year, but now the title of New Zealand’s sunshine capital is back where it belongs, in the heart of the Bay of Plenty.”

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research records indicate a sunnier year for many centres in 2012, with Whakatāne finishing on top with 2,602 hours of sunshine (up 222 hours on 2011). Nelson finished 18 hours behind on 2,584 sunshine hours, 97 hours ahead of the city’s 2011 total.

“I know from the feedback I receive that climate has a major effect on many people’s decisions about where they choose to live and the Whakatāne District will certainly be looking to capitalise on its pre-eminent sunshine status,” Mr Bonne adds. “To encourage our residents to take advantage of the District’s sunny nature, my Council has eliminated consent fees for solar energy systems and we are also intending to install solar water heating for our Aquatic and Fitness Centre – a move which will quickly pay for itself and deliver lasting benefits for all ratepayers.”