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A two-day art fair at Warkworth’s old Masonic Hall raised more than $3000 for community anti-landfill group Fight the Tip last month.
Around 30 artists exhibited a wide range of artworks in a variety of genres, including paintings, photography, carving, weaving and sculpture, with either half or, in some cases, all of the sale proceeds donated to the group’s fighting fund.
Executive member Michelle Carmichael said it was the first such event for Fight the Tip and it had proved a positive and uplifting experience.
“It was great to see so many people enjoying the wonderful variety of art and crafts on display and for sale,” she said. “The money raised was an amazing outcome, and we also connected with many more people who didn’t yet know much about our cause.”
Funds raised will go towards reimbursing Fight the Tip’s legal team and expert witnesses, who have been working pro bono in the Environment Court case against Waste Management NZ’s (WM) proposed landfill at Wayby, south of Wellsford.
Carmichael expressed the group’s gratitude to artist Sue Hill, who came up with the idea for an art fair and organised and ran the event, and to everyone who helped set it up and pack it down.
“A huge thank you also for the generosity of all the artists and patrons who contributed works to be sold to enable Fight the Tip and our marae partners to continue to fight this proposed landfill,” she added.
Fight the Tip is planning another fundraiser for the New Year. In the meantime, they await a decision from the Environment Court on whether WM has met the requirements of previous court directives that would allow consent to be granted.
Carmichael said the most recent hearing, which ran for six days in October (MM, Oct 27), had been complex and difficult to summarise, but the group had reinforced its stance that consent should be declined.
“We can be proud that Fight the Tip were the integral party arguing many aspects relating to environmental harm, specific conditions of consent, landfill management plans, compliance conditions, non-compliance history, corporate behaviour and aftercare responsibility,” she said.
“We also enabled cultural witnesses to continue their opposition to the landfill through our legal appeal.”
