Middlemore Hospital’s public plea, Christmas mayhem hits Auckland airport and why Christmas dessert might be a bit pricier this year in the latest NZ Herald headlines.
Video / AP / NZHerald
The first Auckland Laneway Festival in four years has been granted a liquor licence - despite opposition from police, the Auckland Council and health authorities - on the condition it does not allow concert-goers aged under 16 into its new home at Western Springs Stadium.
Police, a councillicensing inspector and a public health official all opposed the licence application in its initial form, necessitating a hearing before the Auckland District Licensing Committee on Tuesday.
The committee did not receive a single objection from members of the public, though it was not publicly notified.
Next year, the Waitangi Day music festival will for the first time allow under-18s to attend. This proved controversial with inspectors and police, who expressed concerns about the exposure of young people to booze.
Veteran Auckland music promoter and event manager Campbell Smith, manager of Laneway 2024, told the hearing the event was all-ages but recommended for people aged 16 and over.
After a day-long hearing, the committee indicated it would be open to a compromise whereby it would grant a licence on the provision under-16s were not allowed in.
“We’ve probably made everybody unhappy here,” chairwoman Marguerite Delbet said.
On Friday, the committee issued its decision, granting the licence on the proviso signs were posted saying intoxicated punters and minors under 16 were not allowed on site.
Previous Laneway Festivals were held at Silo Park and most recently Albert Park. Its new home is Western Springs, but promoters hit a speed bump in the form of opposition to their licence application.
The licence mandates no more than two serves of alcohol per person per transaction, and certain areas of the festival will be restricted, meaning no under-18s.
John Young, lawyer for St Jerome’s Laneway NZ, expressed some frustration in his closing remarks at what he described as the agencies’ unwillingness to engage with Smith’s experience in running large events.
Smith ran the Big Day Out festivals for years and more recently Auckland City Limits.
Young said Smith was of the view that 16- and 17-year-olds who wanted to see their favourite acts in person deserved to have that experience.
Water and shade issues raised by authorities had been dealt with comprehensively, Young said.
He said Smith and Wendy Alfeld, owner of Multi Events, contracted by Laneway to supply bar staff, were “deeply experienced operators” who were not about to risk their reputations over a poorly run festival.
“There’s absolutely no upside to taking risks that could ruin their careers.”
Smith said they had sold about 14,300 tickets and 500 of those were to under-18s.
Tickets are priced from $212.90 and $292.90 and the event is to be headlined by British rapper Stormzy and United States artists Steve Lacy and Dominic Fike.
George Block is an Auckland-based reporter with a focus on police, the courts, prisons and defence. He joined the Herald in 2022 and has previously worked at Stuff in Auckland and the Otago Daily Times in Dunedin.
