John MacDonald: Don't let the fun police spoil the dance party

Get a grip. That’s my advice today to the people complaining about the music festival planned for the area near Bottle Lake Forest, in Christchurch, over the new year period.

Because I think the organisers are treating you very well and going above and beyond.

The Rolling Meadows festival is normally held at Waipara, north of the city, but the organisers hope to have it in Christchurch for the first time this year.

And because it’s near people’s homes, there have been complaints and there’s even a petition doing the rounds, with people worried about the noise and disruption. The organisers have listened and they’ve done a couple of things. Which I’ll get to.

When I was thinking about where I stood on this, I almost settled on the side of the residents, because of the numbers. The number of people expected to attend and the number of vehicles that are expected in the area over the three-day period.

They’re not insignificant. Up to 10,000 people are expected to attend, with 5,000 expected to camp on site, and 4,000 vehicles a day are expected on the only public access to the festival car park.

So there’s going to be a lot of people converging on that area over those three days from December 29 to 31.

But what I came back to is it’s just for three days. Three days when quite a few of the locals are likely to be away on holiday, anyway. Three days when the organisers are going to be bending over backwards to try and keep these people happy.

First of all, they’ve offered to pay for alternative accommodation for residents. They’re also going to hire people to patrol the streets, deal with rubbish and keep homes safe.

What’s more, it’s understood they’ve gone even further and have also offered to finish the performances earlier each night and reduce the noise levels.

That’s still not good enough, it seems. Which might be making the organisers a little bit nervous because they’re yet to get consent from the city council. They say that if that doesn’t happen, they’ll just go back to having it in Waipara.

Sure, the music blasting late into the night might be a pain in the backside if you’re not into it, but it’s just three nights.

Good on the Rolling Meadows organisers for going the extra mile. Some people though, will never be satisfied.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I'll try and be polite about this, but get a grip.
Get a grip. That's my advice today to the people
complaining about the music festival planned for the area near
Bottle Lack Forest and christ Church at the end of
the over the new year period, because I think the

(00:33):
organizers are treating you very well and I also think
that they are going above and beyond. So this is
the Rolling Meadows Music Festival. It's normally it's normally been
held at Waipua, but the organizers they hope to have
it in christ Church for the first time this year.
They yet to get counsel consent and because it's near

(00:53):
people's homes, there have been all sorts of complaints and
there's even a petition. During the rounds. A couple of
hundred people have signed the petition. People worried about the
noise and disruption, which the organizers, by the way, have
listened to have paid heed to what you are saying.
If you are one of the people in the Bottle

(01:16):
Lake area, I've listened to what you've been saying. They've
done a couple of things come up with some solutions.
I'll get to those. But when I was thinking about
this earlier this morning and working where I stand on it,
I almost almost settled on the side of the residence.
The bit that made me stop and think was the

(01:38):
numbers side of things. Some of the stats which are
being floated around about the event, the number of people
expected to attend and the number of vehicles that are
expected in the area over that three day period, and
they're not insignificant. Up to ten thousand people are expected
to attend, five thousand are expected to camp on site,

(02:03):
and four thousand vehicles are expected on the only public
access to the festival car park on Lower Stix Roads.
So yes, yes, there's going to be a lot of
people converging on that area over those three days from
the twenty ninth to the thirty first of December. Yep.
And like I say, that did make me think that

(02:25):
the people in the area not happy about it might
have a point that I don't think so, because what
I come back to is it's just for three days.
So I'm saying, get a grip, it's just three days,
three days when quite a few of the locals are
probably let's face it, probably quite likely to be away

(02:45):
on holiday, not even going to be there. They'll complain anyway,
And it's three days when the organizers are going to
be bending over backwards to try and keep these people happy.
First of all, they've offered to pay for alternative accommodation
for residents. They're also going to hire people to patrol
the streets, deal with rubbish and keep homesta. Not good enough.

(03:10):
What's more, it's understood they've even gone further than that,
and they have also offered to finish the performances earlier
each night and to reduce the noise levels. Still not
good enough, it seems, which might be making the organizers
what do you reckon? Might be making them a little
bit nervous because, as I said before, they're yet to
get consent from the city council. They say, that doesn't happen,

(03:33):
let us go back to having it and way better.
But like I say, these Bottle Lake people they need
to get a grip. I have never heard of an
event organizer bending over backwards the way that these guys are,
and sure I get it. Music blasting late into the
night might be a pain in the backside if you're
not into it. Chances are the sort of stuff I'm

(03:54):
not even into. But it's just three nights. And what
about people living in other parts of town where this
sort of thing happens more often on a very regular basis.
You know, good on the rolling that I was organized
as for going the extra mile, but some people that
would say will never be satisfied and they need to
get a grip.

Speaker 1 (04:16):
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