Bluff Oyster Festival Pleads Case For Using Glass

Wednesday, 19 March 2025, 8:15 pm
Article: Matthew Rosenberg - Local Democracy Reporter

Offering glass beverages at the popular Bluff Oyster and Food Festival poses a risk to public safety as it can break or be used as a weapon, Police say.

But the festival says people "hated drinking from cans" and it hopes “natural justice” will prevail because no issues have been reported in the past.

On Wednesday, a hearing was held in Invercargill over the festival's special licence, which has been opposed by Police.

Southland alcohol harm prevention officer Hayden McNaught said although there were no set rules around glass, Police believed the event should not include it as a preventative measure.

Glass containers presented a risk because of breakage and the potential for use as a weapon, he said.

“This event is an oyster and food festival, it is not an alcohol festival. The main purpose of the event is to celebrate the Bluff oyster and food in the southern region.

“Alcohol should be a secondary component to accompany the other festivities.”

McNaught said with 4500 people drinking alcohol at a large site, there was the potential for something to go wrong which could turn a “mere fight into lifelong injuries”.

But festival committee member Kylie Fowler said it had not encountered any issues with glass over the last 14 events, and would like to offer it as an option.

Feedback had been received that people “hate drinking out of cans”, and the clientele were not inclined towards bad behaviour.

“The opposition seems to be on a philosophical basis, and we hope that natural justice prevails given that we’ve had no issues around violence or glass injuries," she said.

McNaught did not accept that argument, stating earlier in the hearing that just because something hadn’t happened didn’t mean it wouldn't in the future.

“You don’t get in your car and think ‘I’ve never had an accident before, so I don’t need to put my seatbelt on’.”

Buying alcohol was a personal choice and patrons were under no obligation to do so if they didn’t like the container, he said.

The festival returned last year after a two-year hiatus and is set to take place this year on 24 May.

Previous Police concern over a lack of security staff at the upcoming event had been mitigated by a decision to boost numbers from eight to 10.

Questions were asked by the hearing panel about both refusal of service and alcohol smuggling in the past.

Fowler said there had been one instance of a person being refused alcohol, and smuggling was “always tried”.

She was unsure if every bag was searched upon entry.

Organisers obliged a Police request to use plastic drinking vessels at last year's event but said they had done so because of time constraints.

District licencing committee chair Darren Ludlow said a decision had been reached on Wednesday and was reserved while wording was finalised.

During the meeting, he said he didn't believe there was a risk of the licence not being granted, with conditions the main focus.

Invercargill City Council manager governance and legal Michael Morris confirmed to Local Democracy Reporting that the entire licence was up for discussion — subject to granting, or not — when an application was heard before the district licensing committee.

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