Big bomb comp moves

Dirty boaties are being blamed for a shift in venue of Taupo¯ ’s annual Big Bomb competition.

It was announced on Monday that the Big Bomb Comp and Flochella will be moving to Lake Tikitapu in Rotorua for 2018, not Lake Taupo¯ as in previous years.

The event shift comes after the Tu¯ wharetoa Ma¯ ori Trust Board denied Big Bomb Comp organiser Matt Laity’s applications to host the Flochella – a concert floating on water – aspect of the event.

Tu¯ wharetoa Ma¯ ori Trust Board chief executive Topia Rameka said when Flochella was raised and announced earlier this year, there were a number of concerns raised with the event

The event went ahead in February and Rameka said the trust was left to clean up the mess after a number of boaties threw bottles in the lake.

A crowd of more than 4000 people turned up for the free concert.

‘‘Our property wasn’t shown respect,’’ Rameka said.

‘‘This was not the fault of the event organiser. It was the fault of a few who spoiled it for the rest.’’

The trust board said after that event it was unlikely they would support another Flochella concert but Laity applied for an application anyway.

‘‘We considered the event carefully. We approved the bomb competition to be held but with the proposed increase in numbers for the concert for 2018 we decided the risk was too high,’’ Rameka said.

‘‘We declined the event. This decision was not taken lightly. It’s the first type of thing we have declined.’’ But Rameka said they wished the event organisers all the best for the future.

Laity said it was decided that he did need to run the two events together, so a move to Rotorua was necessary.

‘‘With the Big Bomb Comp I was losing money. I wasn’t even breaking even,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a low cost event, and not one I intended to make money from, but Flochella gave us an income stream. It was a no brainer to keep it together.’’

Laity said the trust approved the bomb competition for a third year but declined Flochella – so he made the decision to move it.

‘‘I tried and tried to get the concert approved but it didn’t happen.’’

Laity said he knew people that were disappointed with the move, but many were also excited about it heading to Rotorua.

‘‘With the Big Bomb Comp I was losing money. I wasn’t even breaking even.’’ Organiser Matt Laity

PHOTO: MATT SHAND/STUFF Skye Teepa demonstrates his bombing technique near Lake Taupo Marina.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Flochella was declined for a second year on Lake Taupo water.

PHOTO: STEPH RANGI/STUFF Boaties, throwing bottles off their boats in the lake, are being blamed for the event’s shift to Rotorua (file photo).

The Big Bomb Comp brings in hundreds of competitors (file photo).