A New Year's Eve festival in Wairarapa has been held up as a lightning rod for debate in the wake of police seeking feedback over cost recovery.
Mike Webb, New Zealand Police acting general manager strategy, policy and performance, announced last week the police service was seeking feedback on chargesfor police vetting service and has released a public consultation paper on cost recovery.
New Zealand is one of few modern police forces that does not already have a cost recovery system in place, Mr Webb said.
The cost recovery proposal will not affect police core services, which will continue to be provided free of charge to any person and police do not intend to charge for services "where that may impact adversely on public safety".
NZ Police Association president Greg O'Connor said on Tuesday the La De Da New Year's Festival, now in its third year, was a "perfect example to draw people's attention to some of the issues" involved with police cost recovery.
He said La De Da differed from other commercial events like Toast Martinborough, which can be policed with extra staff for a single day or "by extension" of usual police rosters, instead requiring three days of policing.
Mr O'Connor said officers "must be diverted from elsewhere" during a busy time.
Festival organiser Josh Mossman said he "vehemently opposed the singling out of La De Da and using us as guinea pigs for the charging of promoters for their events".
