Bluff Oyster and Food Festival 2023 cancelled again after nearby building deemed dangerous

Bluff Oyster and Food Festival was set to be held again in May 2023, but organisers have again cancelled the event. Photo / File

RNZ

Next year’s Bluff Oyster and Food Festival has been cancelled after the building adjoining the event site was declared dangerous.

Bluff’s annual celebration of its southern delicacy draws up to 4000 visitors a year, but this year’s event was cancelled due to the threat of Covid-19 outbreaks and rapid changes to traffic light settings.

It was set to be held again in May 2023, but organisers have again cancelled the event.

In a statement, they said since hosting the last festival in 2021, the Club Hotel adjoining the event site had been declared a dangerous building by Invercargill City Council.

“In light of an engineer’s report we provided to Invercargill City Council, the Dangerous and Insanitary Building Notice was issued requiring demolition by 16 March 2023,” they said in a statement.

“We were confident we could achieve that and have the current site ready for the 2023 event.

“Our demolition contractor submitted a resource consent application.

“Unfortunately, Invercargill City Council amended their previous notice and the process now required will mean the dangerous Club Hotel will still be looming over the site in May 2023.”

The organisers said it would be inappropriate and impractical to host the event next May.

“This decision has not been made lightly and revolves around the health and safety concerns of our volunteers and patrons.”

It was also cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

The organisers were hopeful the event could return in 2024.

- RNZ