KEY POINTS:
Invercargill may bid for the Bluff oyster festival, a move that has staggered people in the southern coastal community.
Bluff locals have heard how Venture Southland is proposing holding a revamped 5000-ticket one-day festival at Stadium Southland in Invercargill.
The proposal is expected to be presented at a Venture Southland directorate meeting.
However, organisers of the Bluff festival have been given time to put together a counter-proposal to try to see if they can stop the shift. Bluff Community Board leader Jan Mitchell said news the event's venue was under threat went down "like a lead balloon" at the meeting. Residents were caught by surprise and were adamant they wanted the event to stay in Bluff.
The possible change of venue comes after the Bluff event slumped to a 10-year low this year, with ticket sales almost 50 per cent down on three years ago and a third less than the number needed to make the event viable.
Venture Southland said it had incurred a loss of $38,000 from the festival.
A final decision on whether the festival will be moved to Invercargill will be made by Venture Southland's joint committee on December 3.
- NZPA
