Harry Gorringe: Rhythm and Alps general manager on the festival lacking resources for drug testing

Several big summer music festivals will not have drug testing this year, according to New Zealand's main drug checking agency for events.

KnowYourStuffNZ has confirmed seven upcoming festivals - which they had previously attended - had declined their services.

Rhythm and Alps general manager Harry Gorringe says they're expecting about 10,000 people each day.

He says it's a shame there'll be no testing - but they'll be working to make it as safe as possible.

"We have medical staff, security staff, police on site to maintain and watch the intoxication levels of patrons."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bryan Bridge.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Drug testing at summer festivals has had a bit of
a snag. The testing agency Know Your Stuff says it
doesn't have enough equipment to provide a number of New
Year's festivals with drug checks. One of them is Rhythm
and ELPs. The general manager there is Harry Gorin. She's
with me this evening, Harry, good evening. Tell me why
haven't you got the testing kits.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
It's not so much a kit as it is quite
an expensive piece of equipment called a spectrometer. We don't
have one, or we're not allowed the use of one
because there are not enough left in this area of
the country during the New Year's area New Year's time periods.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Basically there's too much demand.

Speaker 2 (00:39):
And Know your Stuff's a charity, they've only got so
much resource, right. I think there's one in Nelson that's
going to get it over New Years.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
How many people do you have coming to your festival
ten thousand to day?

Speaker 2 (00:50):
Do you have a health and safety requirement? What if
somebody overdosed on your watch?

Speaker 3 (00:56):
A health and safety requirement doesn't stretch as far as
as drug testing per se. Our drug management plan is
very detailed and I think if you wanted to use
an analogy. It might be that you're adding sort of
layers of protection for our patrons, and those are present
with our sort of communication strategy as well as Saint

(01:17):
John being on site and our Angels tent as well
as a detox tent. So we do keep a very
good eye on our customers. But another layer of protection
and a safe place for people to check drugs would.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Go a long way for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Is there anywhere to check drugs around where the festival
is being held over that period?

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Yes, certainly we've got testing stations courtesy of all your
stuff on the twenty eighth and twenty ninth of December
in Wanaca and in Queenstown.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
So somebody was to know in God forbid this whatever happen.
But if something was bad was to happen involving drugs
in one of your festival goers, would you know, have
you had legal advice? What is the potential repercussions for you?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Look, we do everything we can to eliminate drugs from
entering our festival site. Obviously, is that there is a
limit to resources and how much we can sort of
prevent from entering, and it as a music festival, we
know it happens. We have medical staff, security staff, police
on site to sort of maintain and watch the intox

(02:20):
level of patients of patrons. We're keeping a very close
eye on everyone at all times, and we like to
stop things from becoming problems before their problems. So it's
not so much it's a treatment, not so much treatment,
it's prevention.

Speaker 1 (02:35):
How much does a spectrometer cost? Do you know? Ah?

Speaker 3 (02:38):
Look, by no means an authority on science equipment. I'm
a music promoter. I've been told brand new that they're
about quarter of a million dollars.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Oh wow, okay, so there's a not cheap piece as
a kit. Hard Harry, good tonight, Thank you very much
and good luck with your festival this summer.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
My pleasure. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Harry gor ins with us, who's the general manager and
rhythm Anoups in the South Island. For more from Hither
Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. It'd be
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