Wet forecast stymies dry festival after licence row
HUNDREDS of festival-goers turned up to the event only to discover it was going to have to be alcohol-free after organisers ran out of time to get a liquor licence.
The Shipwrecked music and arts festival held at Te Arai, north of Auckland, kicked off yesterday with revellers having shelled out up to $250 for tickets.
But their spirits would have been dampened by forecasts for wet weather and a dry festival.
Logan Baker of The Greatest Show on Earth, which organises the festival, said ‘‘it’s still going to be a beautiful event’’ despite alcohol not being available.
A police spokesperson said that police were aware that the event did not hold a liquor licence and would be ‘‘paying a visit’’.
The special licence application was submitted to Auckland Council in early December but received strong opposition from neighbours in the quiet rural Tomarata dune lake area.
A hearing with the Auckland District Licensing committee had been set up for February 2, but with a 10-day appeal period, even had the licence been granted, the organisers would still not have been able to sell alcohol and so they withdrew the application on February 1.
Opposition included safety concerns around swimming at the deep sand quarry lake. There are also alcohol bans in place at nearby Te Arai Pt and Tomarata Lake at night.
There have been two successful Shipwrecked festivals on the land owned by Arnim Pierau in the past, next to Spectacle Lake, but they nonetheless have raised tensions with neighbours.
Pierau also runs chalet accommodation on his property.
In 2016 he applied for resource consent to significantly increase the size and number of events at the lakes but was turned down by independent commissioners.
Pierau then appealed to the Environment Court asking for five festivals of 3000 people, two for around 500 people and 20 for 200 people – a total of 160 festival days annually until 2031.
Much of the application was turned down by the Environment Court due to concerns of the effects the noise might have for the rare wildlife at the lakes.
Previous festivals held at the lake have been controversial as the area has special significance for rare birds, including the rare Australasian bittern and the critically endangered fairy tern.