Backing Wellington's Festivals and Events
Wellington has a proud history as the arts and culture capital of New Zealand. We nurtured Flight of the Conchords, Fat Freddy’s, and Fly My Pretties, and incubated a film industry that amazes the world. But many venues have closed and our young creative people are priced out of living here.
It’s time to reclaim Wellington’s place as the live entertainment capital of New Zealand.
Andrew Little will support the creative sector by reducing barriers for event organisers, creating fast-track approval systems, and ensuring our venues can thrive alongside inner-city living.
To get there, Andrew Little will:
Make organising events easier by streamlining approval processes and providing more Council support,
Create a fast-track approval system for low-risk indoor events,
Refocus WellingtonNZ to support events across the city and maximise use of our venues,
Protect live music through better noise planning.
The Problem
Wellington’s creative sector is struggling
Wellington’s local economy is in a slump and people aren’t spending what they used to. Indoor music venues are struggling with noise compliance in an increasingly residential CBD.
Business owners and community organisers face unnecssary hurdles of compliance and costs to run festivals and events, which discourages the very activity that makes our city the creative place we’re proud of.
Council needs to reorientate itself toward helping and assisting in a timely manner, not maintaining a risk-averse culture of no.
Live music is being pushed out of the city
Venues in Wellington’s entertainment areas need to be able to put on live music if we’re going to restore vibrancy to our city.
Musicians need to be able to earn a living and we need to attract more people to our city, both to live here and to visit.
This is a challenge that must be tackled with urgency and sensitivity.
Current approval processes are too complex
At present, event organisers face:
Lengthy approval processes,
Complex paperwork requirements that must be rewritten from scratch each year,
Inconsistent health and safety requirements across venues with no standardised plans,
Regulatory grey areas around indoor events and soundchecks,
Limited Council support to navigate paperwork and approval processes.
Policy Proposals
Reduce regulatory barriers on event organisers
Andrew Little will streamline processes around paperwork required for events by:
Increasing Council support to help event organisers complete required health and safety plans so they don’t have to start from scratch each time,
Granting renewable traffic management plans for established events so that existing plans can have forward approvals for upcoming years, with only amendments reconsidered as necessary. This approach is already being trialled for some festivals but needs to become standard practice,
Ensuring timely turnarounds for Council processing of event paperwork to help avoid uncertainty and delays for organisers,
Providing a single point of contact from Council for larger events to minimise delays and simplify interactions with Council.
Create a fast-track approval system for low-risk indoor events
Andrew Little will pilot a fast-track approval path for low-risk, temporary indoor events - similar to how we pre-approve traffic plans for outdoor festivals.
This will:
Update Council guidelines so it’s crystal clear what doesn’t need a permit,
Provide optional fast-track support for low-risk indoor events needing help with accessing funding or safety plans,
Remove ambiguity for community organisers.
A fast-track process will include introducing a simplified approval channel for low-risk indoor or outdoor community events. Council staff will provide optional support for organisers who just need quick help with safety plans or funding assistance.
This will help prevent smaller organisers from getting stuck in the same lengthy system designed for big events.
Refocus WellingtonNZ to support the creative sector
Andrew Little will reorientate WellingtonNZ through its Annual Statement of Intent to:
Support a wider range of festivals and events across the city, recognising that events big and small contribute to economic development. This includes promoting events in the suburbs, not just focusing on the CBD,
Fully utilise subsidised venue hire for council-owned facilities (St. James, Opera House, MFC, TSB Arena, Shed 6) to build up a full season roster of events and local productions, including maximising the partnership with The Hannah,
Ensure Wellington artists and entertainers have opportunities to contribute to and participate in major events and festivals, including international touring events.
Work with venues to protect live music
Andrew Little will work with venue operators and interested parties to:
Develop or amend noise plans as necessary to protect live music venues’ ability to operate. This will involve exploring planning tools to manage sensitivity in residential areas near existing venues. While these changes can be complex, the right balance needs to be struck between any building requirements and living in established entertainment areas,
Revise internal guidelines and relevant policies to explicitly allow temporary indoor events such as pop-ups, rehearsals and gigs to have certainty around guidance and processes that outdoor events do, including addressing the regulatory grey areas around soundchecks for approved events.
Other commitments
Work with local stakeholders, sector representatives and practitioners of arts, culture and entertainment to lead the rebuilding of live entertainment in the Capital,
Continue the Community Events Sponsorship Fund (approximately $300,000 annually) to support grassroots events without needing additional funding.