Up the workload for the Central Band and people will leave. First, the students will end up having to choose between their course and the band. Terribly unlikely that they'll opt for the band. All of a sudden a third of the band isn't there. Take out a fair chunk of what's left from the people working fulltime civilian jobs, who have run out of excuses or leave with their employers and you'll end up with about 12 musicians left. Let's hope that at least one of them's a drummer!

OMG #103 Wheunapai's very sucessful China trip was made possible by the inclusion of several band's persons from both Woodbourne and Ohakea bands. Without this support, the trip wouldn't have gone ahead. It was paid for by the Chinese who requested the singer and the band perform at their Nangchang Tattoo. #105 "Ohakea doesn't do much" - this is totally incorrect! in the past year members of Ohakea Base band have performed at Rugby World Cup games, school concerts, graduation parades, change of command parades, funerals, state occasions and public concerts. The bands provide fantastic P.R. for the NZDF. You have to remember these territorial band's people have to take time out from their regular jobs to support their military duties as part of an NZDF band. They are not just "doing a hobby" they are serving their country. As for the idea that RNZAF Central Band will cover Ohakea and Woodbourne's jobs, you have to realise that a large portion of the Central Band is made up of students and when their end of year exams are finished, a lot will head back to their home towns away from Wellington, or into full time holiday jobs. This means of course that from Nov - Feb, the Central Band's ranks will be severly depleted, and that in fact they may not be able to adequately perform to the required standard. In addition, I am not surprised that the next announcent concerning the future of the bands has been pushed out (yet again!) to 30/04/12 - of course that means that ANZAC day buglers/bands will be covered from the existing pool and the general public will NOT be made aware just how much the involvement of the NZDF bands will be missed at future ANZAC parades throughout our country, until it is too late.

I was in NZDF admin involved in bands, and now retired. Two points here [as OMG has stated correctly]: one is that of NZ’s two full time bands, the RNZ Navy Band is the busiest and is too small. The NZ Army Band is in the wrong location and does nowhere near the workload of even some TF bands! I can appreciate “proud” will take umbrage to this but I know of two RNZAF bands plus the Artillery and 7th Bat band’s have been far busier than NZAB. Take away the NZAB overseas tours and non military displays and they would have nothing to do, basically because of being based in the south. My current view is that the NZAB should be the only one scrapped and their whopping approx 3 million budget would still have change left over to re establish the Pipe Bands at 4SO and 6th’s, re establish the drum corps of 1st and 2nd/1st’s plus strengthen the 2nd’s and increase the Navy [with supplemented reservists] and still meet the savings required. So yes “Bandz” this set up [mostly all TF] would I can vouch, more than meet all our requests. What I know is the three surviving bands are now to be capped, so they will simply deny requests - disaster I say. Unless NZAB are prepared to emigrate north then remaining at Burnham is a waste of money. A report I worked on confirmed that if they moved to Linton then they could do the workload of 5th’s 7th’s and Ohakea. I think a chap in these posts described them as show ponies; I concur.

proud #104 Your last sentence IS thought provoking. The issue here is not what the 3 remaining bands do (including NZAB) but what they can’t do + what the dumped Reserve bands actually do. What these 3 remaining bands do, is to be already overworked. What they can’t do, is the work that the current Reserve bands actually are doing. Outside the loyalty & rivalries of their own bands, there is ignorance in what SOME OF the dumped bands actually do & how much they actually don’t cost. Whenuapai are stretched & cancelling requests. They’ve been overseas several times & do fill in for Navy. Artillery cost peanuts (as they also operate civvy) & have a hectic schedule in addition to getting requests from NZAB for gigs thats not economical for NZAB to do. I know a job Arty band did free that would have cost NZAB 20 grand. Arty have also done well overseas. 5th Pipes don’t do much but cost peanuts. Ohakea doesn’t do much nor does Woodbourne except several passing out parades & dances. But can Central do all their duties??. 7ths have always been rushed off their feet & already been cut back. Who will do all the Linton & Waiouru parades?? NZAB can only do a couple each year. Yes the 2nds had an interesting life in recent years! So yes some bands could go, but what is concerning is this “review” has been a set up by the full timers to shaft the cheaper Reservists, that is fact. What many of us are saying, is at least keep Whenuapai / Arty & 7ths.

As an ex member of the Army Band at Burnham; I know the international acclaim it brings to our Nation (not just the NZDF), every time it leaves our shores. The band perform in front of tens of thousands of general public at any one engagement while overseas (millions if you count televised coverage). It is regarded as being an innovative, diverse, and professional ensemble, while also highly entertaining. Their unique brand of performance is what has won them, New Zealand, and the NZDF this critical acclaim And this is on the international stage. There are a number of miss informed people that have commented on this page. Yes, the bands have a budget, and yes, we can reduce our national expenditure by reducing their number. But there is no way we could replace what the top 3 service bands do for the reputation of NZ. I am glad to see these 3 bands stay. The older nations of this world maintain tradition because it breeds patriotism. Food for thought.

I saw the news item on TV1 tonight - well presented & very sad. Full time bands v Reserve (TF) bands = It is a balancing act. there is no way Reserve bands could do all the workload not without double the bands to do it. The Central Band are going to get thrashed or have to turn gigs down, now that they will be the only Reserve band. They are a larger band (& a world class one shall I add) & can't do anymore than they do now. The Army Band does less work than the Navy Band, yet has more numbers + they're in the wrong part of the country. Its these sort of anomalies that really need addressing. Money has to be saved from the 2 full time bands BUT not at the point they can't function. Overseas trip must be done by our bands & the Reserve bands also did that well (Whenuapai just been to China).

@Vok- What does your hubby do down in threntham that requires him to be stretched that thin,its a trade training school mainly only course instructors and course students are based there?,soldiers are required to work weekends when needed and yes they do get paid for that,they also get paid when not doing much at all,im talking about early knockoffs,sports days,social events and numerous other things they do which isnt really working.I know this from personal experience.Going away on exercise is also something required of soldiers,though I find it hard to believe he only gets a days notice before going away for weeks at a time,it very rarely happens that way as participants in field exercises that long are usually given plenty of time for planning and preparation.

@Last Post #88 Also the millions of dollars the Army spent purchasing half a dozen Mistral Firing Stations from Spain for its Air Defence unit.Complete waste considering the Airforce have to fighter jets to train against,the stations themselves had big problems dealing with the amount of moisture in the air down our part of the world,and worst of all the Army couldnt even afford to arm them with any missiles.About two years later the AD Unit disbanded.I wonder if they ever got any of that money back....

@Bandy #99. Do you even know what TF bands are....they are part time. You double their workload (more like quadruple if not more) to replace those gigs the RF bands no longer do and you end up with full time bands again. By the way, do you even realise who pays for the "Military Tattoos" overseas??? The hosts. Not the NZDF. Get your facts right before making incorrect comments.

Agree with OMG and Mantovani. Simple logic says if the total expendature is $5.5m and the TF Bands only cost $900k of that then $4.6m is being sucked up by the 3 Bands they propose retaining. Take them out of the equation and double the work load of the 7 TF bands at a cost of $1.8m and there is a immediate saving of $3.7m. As the 7 TF Bands are spread throughout the regions, travel costs are minimal by comparison. We are only a small country, why do we have to send Bands o/seas to skite at International Military tatoos and the like, lets just keep our home fires burning.