Peace festival cancelled

Parihaka's Peace Festival has been put on hold after getting into the red one too many times.

This year's festival lost the Parihaka trust about $30,000, a figure it has decided it cannot risk again.

The next event will be in 2012.

The team will spend that time working on ways to make the event viable and landscaping the festival site.

Parihaka's three-day music festival has run at a loss three out of the five times it has run, with the shortfalls usually gained back with the following year's profits.

However, Parihaka Management Trust chair Ruakere Hond said this year's loss was unexpected as the Parihaka team had put in a lot of effort to ensure it was viable.

"We had thought we would be able to crack it but I think the recession and some other things meant it just didn't happen," Mr Hond said.

"So we have decided to take stock of that. We've always been a bit behind the eight ball financially, and ultimately we don't want do that."

Although finances were the major reason for the cancellation, there were also other pressures, he said.

The site needed landscaping and some members of the Parihaka team were busy this year with Taranaki's Treaty negotiations, leaving little time for planning.

Despite the delay, Mr Hond said it was in no way the end of the Parihaka festival.

"The last thing we want to see is that the trust winds up."

Festival director Te Miringa Hohaia said he considered the cancellation of the 2011 event a "good challenge".

"Any big outdoor event is going to have a risk," he said.

"We just need to re-focus the event and look at ways we can save money."

Equipment such as generators was one of the biggest costs, especially given Parihaka's remote location, and had the potential to blow out the budget.

For example, this year's bill for electricity came in $17,000 over what was planned, a figure over which the trust was still negotiating.

However, one way to combat that problem could be to reduce the number of bands playing, Mr Hohaia said.
As for next year, Mr Hohaia was keen to at least have some sort of event at Parihaka in the usual January spot, just not the festival.

"We might run a small expo-type event instead.

"I think we will be able to do that."

- © Fairfax NZ News