December 29, 2025 • 5 mins
Rain hasn't dampened the party atmosphere at Gisborne's Rhythm and Vines festival.
Thousands of festival-goers have descended on Waiohika Estate vineyard for three-day music and camping festival - running since 2003.
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz told Andrew Dickens that locals once loathed the event but it's now embraced by almost everyone.
He says the young people who attend bring millions of dollars into the local economy, and bring a vibrancy to town.
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks be follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We're off to sunny Gisborne, where, of course it is
heavily raining right now. We're off on the east coast
of the North Islands. It's fabulous. It's got great beaches,
great surf obviously, and of course thousands of young twenty
something year olds are packing in over this week for
one of the country's largest festivals, that's Rhythm and Vines.
So joining us is the Gisborne mayor, Rahet Stoltz.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Good morning, Good morning Andrew, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Very good? Goodness to me, you're in a good mood. Gisborne.
Do you say Gisborne or Gisbane?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
These gizzi Gisbane, Gisborne. I say Gisbane.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Okay, I say Gisborne, because that's the way I was
taught back in the old days. But there we go.
Welcome on. And now look you won approval for an
in house water plan last year and will that benefit
ratepayers or did you have to compromise?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I call definitely benefit rate payers. It is a time
for all of us, you know, to take a look
at that infrastructure. So for us, we've been doing it
our own any way because we are a unitary authority,
so it just made sense that we ring fence that money.
In the last ten years we spend more than eighty
dollars invest eighty million dollars investing in our Waiste water
(01:25):
systems and pipes. So we are not one of those
regions where everything is needing an absolute upgrade. So we
find ourselves in a position where we can move forward
on our own. But it's a lot of work. Just
even the structure to set it all up is going
to be a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
How do you feel about the local government reforms? Mayors
have been telling me that the rate caps are going
to reduce their capacity for the needs to have.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Everyone wants lower rates, and I one hundred percent agree
with that. I'm a rate player too, I would love
I love low rates too. We do need to watch
out that we do not balance low rates at the
expense of basic infrastructure. And if I talk about basic infrastructure,
I don't only mean our roads and pipes and rubation
(02:14):
and all the basic stuff that council do. I also
mean regions getting ready resilience work. We've seen what happened
during Psycoon Gabriel. We need to make sure our flat
protection is up to date, our bridges are strengthened. So
it's also making sure we focus on the basic stuff
and don't compromise that for a rates cap.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Absolutely, so let's get to some fun stuff and of
course coming up New Years as Rhythm and Vines. How
big a boost to the local economy is this festival.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It's a huge boost and our community has learned to
love it. In the beginning there was definitely a bit
of rubbing. It was too busy, lots of partying, but
I can tell you that our community rarely around it.
Now we get ready. The young kids come in. They
bring a vibrancy to town, huge economic injections and millions
(03:08):
of dollars that they bring. I've been in contact with
R and V. They's such a delight to work with.
We do our alcohol bans so certain areas you're not
allowed to drink, so the council work get their resource
content sorted. So by the time that the young ones
arrive as all go.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
All right, who's coming for Rhythm Invites? You know the acts?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I'm too old, Andrew, come on, I'm just too old.
I'm actually meeting up and doing a little promo video
with R and V next week, so I should have
done it after that then I would have been more informed.
But I am a mother of a nineteen and twenty
one year old and they love R and V. So
I'm sure afterwards they'll be able to tell me a
few names. But yeah, I'm too old.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Come on, No, you're not as a great spectacle. You know,
the sounds great, the light's great, the kids are having
funish are you.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Going to go this year? I'm not going because I
am actually going to South Africa for my dad's ats,
so I'm missing out on that. But every year my
kids go. I am just a glas horrified meural taxi.
We're picking them up. But I have gone in the past,
and it is fun for young and old, even if you,
like me, don't know the acts. There's a vibrancy there.
(04:20):
There's fun, you see people you know, you make new friends.
It is beautiful in the vineyards. It is something that
everyone needs to experience.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
All right, Well, you're off to South Africa for summer.
I was going to ask you what you're doing for
summer and which beaches are you going to go to.
So which beaches are you going to be missing out on?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Well, I'm missing out on the beautiful Gisben beaches. Anyone
coming our way, you should come and take a look.
We have done a great job tidying up all the
beaches here in Gizzimkarori Wainui, Outtown beaches. It is pumping
already because we have already experienced twenty thirty three degree weathers,
so it is already summer here.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Absolutely. And don't forget a course, the Talliger Bay Horse
Races held in Kaiowa. I've been on that. That's hilarious.
That's a whole lot of guys on bear back on
horses with motorcycle helmets on racing down the beach. Is
fantastic event.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
We've got so many events. We've got a marathon this here,
We've got arts gathering, these a music Awards, We've got
a thunder and the Bay Powerboat Race, so it is
lots of fun. Rodeo, we've got the National Surf Champs here.
Make sure you come to Gizzee wellhead start.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Thank you for joining us today, Give our love to
your dad and happy birthday on his eightieth and thank
you for your time.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from News Talk st B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks be follow
this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
We're off to sunny Gisborne, where, of course it is
heavily raining right now. We're off on the east coast
of the North Islands. It's fabulous. It's got great beaches,
great surf obviously, and of course thousands of young twenty
something year olds are packing in over this week for
one of the country's largest festivals, that's Rhythm and Vines.
So joining us is the Gisborne mayor, Rahet Stoltz.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Good morning, Good morning Andrew, how are you?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Very good? Goodness to me, you're in a good mood. Gisborne.
Do you say Gisborne or Gisbane?
Speaker 3 (00:44):
These gizzi Gisbane, Gisborne. I say Gisbane.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Okay, I say Gisborne, because that's the way I was
taught back in the old days. But there we go.
Welcome on. And now look you won approval for an
in house water plan last year and will that benefit
ratepayers or did you have to compromise?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I call definitely benefit rate payers. It is a time
for all of us, you know, to take a look
at that infrastructure. So for us, we've been doing it
our own any way because we are a unitary authority,
so it just made sense that we ring fence that money.
In the last ten years we spend more than eighty
dollars invest eighty million dollars investing in our Waiste water
(01:25):
systems and pipes. So we are not one of those
regions where everything is needing an absolute upgrade. So we
find ourselves in a position where we can move forward
on our own. But it's a lot of work. Just
even the structure to set it all up is going
to be a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
How do you feel about the local government reforms? Mayors
have been telling me that the rate caps are going
to reduce their capacity for the needs to have.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Everyone wants lower rates, and I one hundred percent agree
with that. I'm a rate player too, I would love
I love low rates too. We do need to watch
out that we do not balance low rates at the
expense of basic infrastructure. And if I talk about basic infrastructure,
I don't only mean our roads and pipes and rubation
(02:14):
and all the basic stuff that council do. I also
mean regions getting ready resilience work. We've seen what happened
during Psycoon Gabriel. We need to make sure our flat
protection is up to date, our bridges are strengthened. So
it's also making sure we focus on the basic stuff
and don't compromise that for a rates cap.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Absolutely, so let's get to some fun stuff and of
course coming up New Years as Rhythm and Vines. How
big a boost to the local economy is this festival.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
It's a huge boost and our community has learned to
love it. In the beginning there was definitely a bit
of rubbing. It was too busy, lots of partying, but
I can tell you that our community rarely around it.
Now we get ready. The young kids come in. They
bring a vibrancy to town, huge economic injections and millions
(03:08):
of dollars that they bring. I've been in contact with
R and V. They's such a delight to work with.
We do our alcohol bans so certain areas you're not
allowed to drink, so the council work get their resource
content sorted. So by the time that the young ones
arrive as all go.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
All right, who's coming for Rhythm Invites? You know the acts?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I'm too old, Andrew, come on, I'm just too old.
I'm actually meeting up and doing a little promo video
with R and V next week, so I should have
done it after that then I would have been more informed.
But I am a mother of a nineteen and twenty
one year old and they love R and V. So
I'm sure afterwards they'll be able to tell me a
few names. But yeah, I'm too old.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Come on, No, you're not as a great spectacle. You know,
the sounds great, the light's great, the kids are having
funish are you.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Going to go this year? I'm not going because I
am actually going to South Africa for my dad's ats,
so I'm missing out on that. But every year my
kids go. I am just a glas horrified meural taxi.
We're picking them up. But I have gone in the past,
and it is fun for young and old, even if you,
like me, don't know the acts. There's a vibrancy there.
(04:20):
There's fun, you see people you know, you make new friends.
It is beautiful in the vineyards. It is something that
everyone needs to experience.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
All right, Well, you're off to South Africa for summer.
I was going to ask you what you're doing for
summer and which beaches are you going to go to.
So which beaches are you going to be missing out on?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Well, I'm missing out on the beautiful Gisben beaches. Anyone
coming our way, you should come and take a look.
We have done a great job tidying up all the
beaches here in Gizzimkarori Wainui, Outtown beaches. It is pumping
already because we have already experienced twenty thirty three degree weathers,
so it is already summer here.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
Absolutely. And don't forget a course, the Talliger Bay Horse
Races held in Kaiowa. I've been on that. That's hilarious.
That's a whole lot of guys on bear back on
horses with motorcycle helmets on racing down the beach. Is
fantastic event.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
We've got so many events. We've got a marathon this here,
We've got arts gathering, these a music Awards, We've got
a thunder and the Bay Powerboat Race, so it is
lots of fun. Rodeo, we've got the National Surf Champs here.
Make sure you come to Gizzee wellhead start.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Thank you for joining us today, Give our love to
your dad and happy birthday on his eightieth and thank
you for your time.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
For more from News Talk st B. Listen live on
air or online, and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcasts on iHeartRadio
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