Festivals in peril?

Mangonui Festival. PICTURE/PETER JACKSON NGE 17Apr12 - DOWN TO THE WATERLINE: Kerikeri band Soundcrew entertaining the masses at Mangonui's inaugural Waterfront Festival on Saturday. Inset: Twelve

We, as a small vineyard, like supporting local festivals by putting in a stall to sell wine. The community enjoy these festivals, as they provide a positive outlet for local produce.

Music, wine and food provides a positive fiesta atmosphere, and people enjoy themselves. But the Far North District Council want $575 for each stall that is selling alcohol, as there will be so many people attending.

As a magnanimous gesture, we only have to pay $207, but as we will probably see far less than 100 people at our stall, in my opinion we should pay $65, as we have each year in the past.

Each stall has to apply with 14 pages of information to the FNDC at least 20 working days prior to the event. I would suspect that the other stalls like us would not make the $207 for the travel getting to the site and working there all day. This could mean the end of such festivals throughout the Far North.

That will be a real pity, as people do enjoy these functions.

ERIC SHACKLETON

Waitapu Estate Vineyard

A council spokesperson responds:

The council's hands are tied. The fees are specified in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012, and the council is obliged to apply the act.

Under the act, the council does have discretion to charge a lower fee of $207, which is the total being levied from stallholders such as Mr Shackleton. The $65 fee previously levied was not the correct fee.