Council has decided to make some changes to how public events on our parks and reserves are managed.
We have a range public spaces across the district which are used for many events, both public and private, from weddings and picnics to sports events and commercial activities.
One of the challenges in looking after these spaces is keeping them nice and available for public use and limiting the adverse impacts of an event on other users.
From the start of the 2024/5 financial year Council has introduced a new way of managing access to our public spaces for organized events and has instituted a small charge to cover some of the costs.
We now ask that organisers who are wanting to run an event in a public park or reserve contact Council in advance and discuss their plans. We want to avoid multiple events clashing in the same space, and we want to be sure that other users are going to be safe. Therefore, we’ll also ask to see your Health & Safety Plan and, if relevant, your traffic management plan.
For some events, our standard park bins may not be sufficient, and we want to make sure that the park will be available and tidy enough for other users the next day. So, for example, we may need to think about providing more bins to handle the rubbish from your event.
By contacting us well in advance we can make sure that all the arrangements are in place.
In addition to improving how we manage our public open spaces, Council decided to introduce a small fee to cover some of the costs involved. Previously all the costs were covered by the general ratepayer. Councillors feel that it is fair that the people who use a particular facility should be responsible for covering part of the costs. Therefore the following fees were introduced. These fees apply to organized public events, not to the family picnic.
If you are planning to hold such an event in one of our parks or reserves or would like further information, please contact our Parks and Reserves team on 0800 685 8514 or email info@mackenzie.govt.nz.
Details from Fees 2024/5
| Events on Parks and Reserves | |
|---|---|
| General Reserves | $50 |
| Additional bins | $20 |
| Weddings | $50 |
| Community festivals and events | $50 |
| Commercial operations* | On application |
| Event application and Health & Safety processing and assessment fee per application | $20 |
*Commercial: Business organisations and individuals working for profit.