Organisers of the Bluff Oyster and Food Festival are feeling frustrated that once again they have had to cancel the event.
Owing to uncertainties around the Covid-19 pandemic, organisers decided to cancel this year's festival and they set a date of May 20, 2023 to try again.
However, today it was announced that it has had to be cancelled again, this time owing to health and safety concerns around the Club Hotel building, which hosts the festival.
Bluff Oyster and Food Festival Committee member Kylie Fowler said the decision was not made lightly, but it was the only option as the site had been declared a Dangerous Building area.
"In light of an engineer’s report we provided to Invercargill City Council, the Dangerous and Insanitary Building Notice was issued requiring demolition by March 16, 2023.
"We were confident we could achieve that and have the current site ready for the 2023 event.
"Unfortunately, Invercargill City Council amended their previous notice and the process now required will mean the dangerous Club Hotel will still be looming over the site in May 2023.’’
She said organisers would continue to work hard to make the 2024 event "bigger and better".
"The event is volunteer run and brings many promotional and financial benefits to the region yet we feel it would be inappropriate and impractical to invite 4000 visitors to celebrate in the shadow of the Club Hotel given the Dangerous Building Notice.
"We are disappointed and greatly saddened that we cannot host the event."
