Rotary fair dodges bureaucratic bullet ? for now
By Tim O?Connell
Hutt City Council?s role in organising the Petone Rotary Fair has hit red tape, although it seems it now has a year?s grace to consider its options. Under new regulations put in place by central government, the traffic management plan for the event would need to be undertaken by an independent party. This is normally carried out by the council. Independent consultation is expected to add around $3500 to the cost of organising the fair. However, Roy Hewson of Petone Rotary Club said he understood the new regulations had been put on the backburner until November 2009, meaning the February 21 fair would not be affected. Nevertheless, discussions on events strategy from all parties continue to ensure the situation can be resolved before the regulation affects the 2010 fair. Petone Community Board chairman Gerald Davidson said the plan largely dealt with issues surrounding the closure of Jackson Street, which included the rerouting of traffic and bus services. The council provides essential services on the day and in the lead up to the event, including rubbish, toilet, maintenance and health-related services. The fair is the second largest fair of its kind in the lower North Island. ?Despite running on the same day as the iconic Cuba Street festival in Wellington city, approximately fifteen thousand are expected to turn out for the Jackson Street event.
