Portland community will have a say in whether a gang fight tournament will become an annual event at their local sporting facility.
More than 300 rival gang members and supporters descended on the Portland Recreation Centre last Saturday for a mixed martial arts tournament aimed at ending inter-gang violence.
It was five gang-related deaths in Northland over the past year that was the catalyst for the event.
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Organisers said they delivered a hassle-free event, which they promised, and there was a call from the gangs to make it an annual event.
But whether it would be staged at the community centre again was not guaranteed.
Raki Harding, a Portland Recreational Centre Committee member, said it would be feedback from the community that would determine whether the venue was hired to the gangs again.
"We are here to support the community and wouldn't make a decision about having the event again until we get feedback. The facility is there for the local Portland community."
Mr Harding said he went to the venue on Saturday and checked the rules were being adhered to. If they had not he said he would have informed police, who he had been dealing with since the venue was booked.
The committee said no alcohol was permitted, patches were not to be worn inside the venue and that it was to be a day-time event.
He said the event was an opportunity for fundraising to repair the 30-year-old roof.
"We have some major issues with the roof and this was a chance to raise repair funds."
The facility was left in better condition than when it was hired, he said. There was no damage.
"I'm not naive to what gangs have done in the past, these gangs have history. Here is an opportunity to change that."
The Whangarei District Council confirmed the centre was owned and operated by the Portland Recreational Society. They leased the grounds and buildings and the lease allowed them to carry out any legal activity.
Whangarei MP Shane Reti was against the event becoming an annual fixture.
"I'm totally opposed to gang-related meetings in our city."
Mr Reti said the gang event had received too much media coverage and he had not wanted to comment on the event.
He had only commented after being approached by the Northern Advocate.
"They have had too much media coverage and there's no good in that. I'll be working with the communities and community leaders to make sure this does not become an annual event and to keep the community safe from gangs."
Whangarei District Council mayor Sheryl Mai opposed the event as well.
"We support the views of our partners, the police. As community leaders we would prefer that this does not become an annual event," she said.
"I can think of many events I would love to see on an annual events calendar for Whangarei, and a gang fight is not one of them."
Outspoken NZ First Whangarei candidate Shane Jones said gang-related "criminal tourism" was not wanted by everyday folk in Northland.
"This is a law and order issue with sinister dimensions given the presence of Australian gangs in the audience. They most certainly have not travelled to the Far North for an amateur boxing event.
"Such events in our region ought to be legally outlawed and I will be promoting such an outcome."