Stadium boss: Struggling events sector needs clarity
ILT Stadium Southland’s boss Nigel Skelt wants more clarity from the Government to help save the events industry which he says is in a bad way.
Skelt wants the Government to paint a clearer picture for those in the events and venues industry when it provides its latest Covid19 update today.
He described the communication around alert level guidelines to date as appalling.
‘‘The lack of communication and clarity right through the process has been the key. We are always operating day to day and are in catch up mode, that is the real challenge for event organisers. We are all holding our breath until [Friday] to see what may come for the events industry,’’ he said.
‘‘We get what’s going on, but for god’s sake, put a stake in the ground and give us some dates to work to and we’ll do that.’’
Skelt hopes a ‘‘traffic light’’ system will replace the alert level system and with it will come methods to get events back up and operating.
That could include opening events up to those who were vaccinated, he said.
‘‘Whether its green, amber, or red surely there’ll be some flexibility for regions that haven’t been affected for such a long time.’’
The Rocking with the Stars fundraiser was the latest casualty for the stadium.
Skelt said they were set to go ahead with Rocking with the Stars but updated Covid-19 alert level 2 guidelines meant it would not happen.
Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds said she understood the frustrations of Southland event organisers and has written to prime minister Jacinda Ardern addressing those concerns.
‘‘We’re seeing major local events being cancelled because organisers have no sense of how long level two will continue, with the information vacuum people are living with playing havoc with community plans,’’ Simmonds said.
‘‘More concerning, local fundraising events, which are often the lifeblood of local charities and school and sports clubs, are also falling by the wayside impacting on the ability of these groups to raise funds for the future.’’
Simmonds said the cancellation of Rocking with the Stars, the Winton Open Day, the Southland Truck parade and the Southland Charity Hospital’s fundraising ball came as a result of the bureaucracy attached to
‘‘We get what’s going on, but for god’s sake, put a stake in the ground and give us some dates to work to and we’ll do that.’’ Nigel Skelt ILT Stadium Southland’s boss
organising events at the moment.
It has had a detrimental effect on the Southland economy, negatively hit businesses and impacted people’s moods and their peace of mind, Simmonds said.
She added the likes of Christmas at the Races, Edendale Crank Up Day and the Southern Field Days also now hang in the balance because of the uncertainty. The Government will announce its new ‘‘Covid-19 protection framework’’ today.
In recent weeks the Government has been consulting on the ‘‘traffic light’’ system to be used when New Zealand reaches higher vaccination levels.