Groups angry over Santa snub

Two Dunedin groups have been left feeling disappointed and angry they cannot take part in this year's Santa Parade.

 The Home Birth Association of Dunedin and the Greyhounds For Pets Dunedin branch are questioning the reasoning behind their exclusion.

Home Birth Association of Dunedin member and midwife Margaret Gardener said the association had been told last year it had not got its application in on time and there were too many floats.

This year, the association was told by Dunedin Santa Parade Trust event organiser Malcolm Dodds it was too political" for the community event, Ms Gardener said.

"This year we put it [the application] in in good time. I don't understand the reason we were given.

"His [Mr Dodds'] concern was we were promoting something that would be in competition with other providers."

When contacted by The Star, Mr Dodds said the Dunedin Santa Parade Trust committee, a voluntary organisation, had deemed the Home Birth Association of Dunedin's application too commercial for the parade.

"There was a sub-committee of four and those four decided it was a commercial identity and not for the children of the city.

"The guys looked at the application and we decided it was more of a commercial identity and the Santa Parade is not. It's not there for that and it never will be.

"It's there for entertainment and for the kids, and we personally put a lot of time into it to make it fun."

Mr Dodds said the only company advertising allowed on a Santa Parade float were the words Merry Christmas from" followed by a company's name.

Home Birth Association of Dunedin member Rachel Harwood said the reasons given were a bit odd".

"They [the trust] also said they couldn't advertise a specific product or service, which I find pretty odd because as far as I know Cadbury's has a float and last year home-based childcare put in a float. If that's not advertising a particular service I don't know what is. I feel we are being singled out and we are not sure why."

However, Mr Dodds said at least another two groups had been denied a spot in the parade for similar reasons.

One was a car club and one was the Dunedin branch of Greyhounds For Pets.