13 May 2009 - At todays Auckland City Council Arts, Culture and Recreation Committee, Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) councillors consigned two more free community events to the scrap heap when they cut funding of $24,000 to the Onehunga Festival and $20,000 to That Thing in the Park.

Councillor Richard Northey said, The Onehunga Festival is longstanding event that brings the Onehunga community and showcases the creativity and energy of its people. The local Onehunga Festival organisers had demonstrated the value of this festival by increasing attendance by 50% from 5,000 in 2008 to a really buzzing 7,500 this year. They have achieved all objectives and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that Council had set for them but because not all of the local Maungakiekie Community Board members and its Councillors are C&R members, it is the first major free community event that C&R have canned.

Councillor Leila Boyle said, The southern ward of Maungakiekie has been unfairly treated over free community events. The Music in Parks series has 40 events of which only 1 is in the ward this year The Jews Brothers performed at Onehungas Jellicoe Park in March so the loss of the Onehunga Festival is huge. This cut is a real slap in the face when you consider that most of the 40 Music in Parks events occur in the inner city suburbs and the CBD. What is really insulting is that Music in Parks costs an average of $4.90 per person in attendance while the Onehunga Festival costs $3.20 so C&R using cost as a reason for this cut in funding is ludicrous. Expecting the Maungakiekie Community Board to fund this event from 2010 is also extremely unfair the $24,000 cost is almost half of the $51,000 discretionary fund the board will have for the entire year.

Councillor Glenda Fryer said, That Thing in the Park at Potters Park was specifically targeted to young peoples interest and music. To scrap the event, when it had only been going two years and had very little promotion, is a tragedy. When the International Cultural Festival got too big for Potters Park and went to Mt Roskill, the Mt Eden community was promised a replacement free community event and That Thing in the Park was the result. To now back out of that promise when there is more demand than ever for free community events with unemployment hitting young people hard is a travesty and C&R should be ashamed of themselves.

Councillor Cathy Casey said, It is very disappointing that the Youth Council was not given the opportunity to offer an opinion on the continuation of That Thing in The Park. Auckland City Councils policy on youth action says that Council will consider young peoples views to ensure appropriate youth oriented events are held in the city. This policy was ignored as the Youth Councils submission to last years Annual Plan specifically stated young people in Auckland city encourage youth events such as That Thing in the Park but believe more promotion is needed.