Consent issues plague Big Dig

The Big Dig, which has been a summer highlight for Coast families for more than 30 years, will go ahead next month, after a last minute waiver of Auckland Council’s resource consent requirements.

The event attracts around 3000 people and raises $5-6000 for the community each year.

Orewa and Whangaparaoa Lions Clubs, which organise the event, have been on tenterhooks for the past month after they became aware that resource consent would be required.

Orewa Lions president Paul Reid says there was no way the club could afford to pay a consultant or wade through all that paperwork, so a scramble to try and obtain a waiver of the consent followed.

After a hearing on November 24, the Lions had a nail-biting wait until December 6 when they received confirmation that the event, to be held on January 30 on Orewa Beach, could proceed.

The Big Dig involves Lions volunteers burying tickets in a designated area of the beach to be dug up by participants. These are then exchanged for prizes donated by businesses.

“The uncertainty has meant we are behind with organisation and talking to local businesses who sponsor prizes – normally by now we’d have that sorted,” Mr Reid says. “It’s slowed us up considerably, but we are pulling out all the stops and it will definitely go ahead.”

It’s a story that has been repeated throughout Rodney and the Hibiscus Coast in recent months, and while it’s good news for the Big Dig, events such as the Orewa Santa Parade and Boulevard Festival were not as lucky.

It appears that of all the legacy councils, only the former Rodney District and Manukau District Councils had provisions that triggered the need for resource consent for large events, while in other areas only a traffic management plan was required.

Prior to the change in governance, Manukau District Council put in place a blanket consent for its regular events, but Rodney District Council did not.

Auckland Council plans to bring events in this district in line with the rest of Auckland, though how long this will take is uncertain.The Big Dig, which has been a summer highlight for Coast families for more than 30 years, will go ahead next month, after a last minute waiver of Auckland Council’s resource consent requirements.