Wicker Suite, a duo from Australia for the Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival. Photo / Supplied
New Zealand’s longest-running and largest country music festival is back. The Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival should have been celebrating its 34th year, this year but because of Covid-19 restrictions it’s in its 33rd year.
Is it bigger than the Gore Country Music Festival? Organiser Shirley May says it’s a total festival in the Bay of Islands but Gore’s festival is for country music.
“They have the music awards and have music from invited guests, mostly past Golden Guitar winners, and it’s now called the Tussock Country Festival Gore.”
There’s a strong lineup of bands and singers for the Bay of Islands festival. There are five Australian imports.
Paul Costa and Adam Harvey are two of Australia’s top acts, while Donnella Waters and Michael King are expatriate Kiwis who have been in Australia for over 20 years. The Australian five-piece band called Forbidden Road is here for the show, they are predominantly a modern country-rock band but also throw in some originals from time to time.
The top New Zealand acts are all familiar names, Eddie Low, Kevin Greaves, Bevan Gardiner, Brendan Dugan and Gray Bartlett. Jodi Vaughan is appearing with Ali Cook. Together they have just released a single called Sisters in Country featuring That’s What We Do, written by Jodi Vaughan and James Ray.
A six-piece band from Gisborne is making its first appearance at the festival. Shirley May says they deliver “world-class vocals, harmony and musicianship” and they will also back expat Australian singer Michael King.
Appearing together are Gabi Rose and Liam Kennedy-Clark who call themselves Wicker Suite. They have been writing together for the past few years and will be releasing their new album at the festival.
Venues for the Bay of Islands Country Rock Festival are the Scenic Hotel (which is the festival’s headquarters), Paihia Sports Bar, Ex-Servicemen’s Association and Kingsgate Autolodge in Paihia. In Haruru Falls there is Twin Pines Manor and in Russell it’s the Duke of Marlborough Hotel and the Nauti Penguin Bar and Restaurant.
Clark’s Coaches is providing a shuttle bus service around Paihia running between each venue for badge holders.
The latest property revaluations from Quotable Value will be posted to ratepayers much later than usual, on May 15. This could have decisions on some objections delayed until after the Far North District Council sets its rates on July 1.
The delay in getting the latest property assessments to Far North property owners was due to QV staff being diverted to emergency assessments after the Auckland floods and Cyclone Gabrielle.
District council group manager corporate services Janice Smith says decisions on objections are usually made by QV well ahead of council striking rates for the next financial year.
“But due to the delay in receiving the October 2022 revaluations, the normal objection period has been significantly compressed and it is possible that some objections will not be decided before the council strikes rates on 1 July.”
She says the council is required by the Local Government (Rating) Act 2002 to send out the first rates invoice based on the property value held at the time.
“If an objection is successful after we strike rates on 1 July, the council will send out an amended rates assessment to the property owner.”
Property owners can object to the QV assessment if they believe their property has been under or overvalued. Objections must be made by June 22.
Property owners who wish to object to a revaluation are advised to do so directly to QV via its website qv.co.nz.
Printed objection forms can also be obtained from council service centres and libraries, or property owners can write to QV.
Anyone without access to the internet can use public computer terminals at one of the council’s six Far North libraries to view the District Valuation Roll. Library staff will be on hand to assist.
Community group Our Kerikeri is holding a public meeting to encourage discussion on the development plans for an approved subdivision near Ranui and Hall Rds, and one at Clark Rd and King St.
The organisation said while it supports the need for public and affordable homes, the lack of meaningful consultation has resulted in many people feeling that change is being thrust upon them.
In a public communique, they said they have been unable to persuade council, Kāinga Ora or the developers, Gemscott King Limited, to engage meaningfully with the community and listen to their concerns.
“Whilst the resource consent applications have not yet been approved, all indications thus far suggest a lack of interest in making the resource consents publicly notified [and] as a result we believe our only recourse is to bring the conversation to them.”
A letter was sent on March 7 to Mayor Moko Tepania and other elected members and council planning staff, requesting public notification of the Clark Rd-King St applications for the consent process to be slowed down.
On March 10, a letter was sent to Willow-Jean Prime, MP for Northland, and although receipt of the letter was acknowledged, Our Kerikeri has not received a formal reply at the time of writing.
On March 13, a formal submission letter was sent to Jill Coyle, acting CEO of Far North District Council, and other council planning staff outlining the community’s concerns.
On March 30, Deputy Mayor Kelly Stratford and councillor Babe Kapa sent a formal response to Our Kerikeri’s letter stating council staff did not consider public consultation necessary because they deemed the “consent application and infrastructure implications to be minimal”.
Our Kerikeri has challenged this opinion. On March 30, Our Kerikeri held a meeting with elected members, Kāinga Ora, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Gemscott and the Kerikeri Retirement Village to reinforce the concerns of the community and request more public engagement.
They say they are not ruling out any options but it’s likely the community will require legal counsel to contest decisions made by local and central government and they may consider launching a petition.
Public meeting, May 3, 5.30pm, Turner Centre, Kerikeri.
The Yanks are coming. More specifically, the US Marine Corp Band will play one free show at the Turner Centre in Kerikeri.
The Marine band is performing around New Zealand and the tour is linked to the United States Embassy. The embassy has said it “maintains an ongoing interest in US history and connections in Te Tai Tokerau”.
During World War II thousands of U.S. service members came to Northland. Their activities included building an airfield at Kaikohe and at Waipapakauri which was once home toNo.7 General Reconnaissance Squadron and considered one of the most important airfields in the country.
There was a small military camp established close to the Treaty House at Waitangi, and they laid a network of submerged mines at the entrance of Whangaroa Harbour among their activities; other camps sprang up at Warkworth, Maungatapere and Glenbervie.
The United States Ambassador to New Zealand, Tom Udall, said the band will play in the community and at school shows in Wellington, Auckland and Northland.
“These are areas where our troops came in the 1940s and which were impacted by their arrival, and we see this as a way to give back to those communities.”
Tom Udall’s father served as Secretary of the Interior for presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The 24-strong band is based in Hawai’i and will play a mixture of rock, pop and country music including some well-known American classics.
Tuesday, May 2, from 12.30pm – 1.30pm. turnercentre.co.nz
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