Hard News by Russell Brown

One other thing that bears noting: the lack of a proper plan to deal with waste at George in the Park (and ideally, get people to take theirs home). I gather it was a mess in more than one way.

I've lived in Pt Chevalier for 17 years. Most of the events at Coyle park and around Western Springs seem to attract a happy and well courteous crowd.

The George FM event is different, and it has been every year. It's a good day to be away from Pt Chev.

Similar scenario at George FM event in the Domain summer 2006 - BYO, heaps of wasted uncouth youth & trash galore. When they gonna learn?

The George FM event is different, and it has been every year. It's a good day to be away from Pt Chev.

Well, happily, it looks like there won't be another one with George.

Indeed, classic George event. One day they must realise they aren't a niche broadcaster anymore, but part of a large corporate media conglomerate with a huge reach. This, combined with fond memories of those older, much smaller gigs (the Domain events standing out from that) attracts huge crowds they seem unable or unwilling to deal with. It's their own success that's screwing it up.

Ironically, I wonder if more frequent, smaller events is the go, there's clearly a huge thirst for it, and whilst the Music in Parks programme is excellent, I wonder about it's appeal to the George demographic. Auckland still lacks enough summer outdoor gigs, paid or free.

Edit to add: I was involved in the LPFM scene back in the day, and the state George left parks in after their events back in the mid-2000's screwed over the rest of us trying to put on smaller events. (UpFM et al) Council requirements for rubbish removal and toilets were far in excess of what our events warranted and effectively killed them, and yet George seemed able to just steamroll ahead and do whatever they liked.

One other thing that bears noting: the lack of a proper plan to deal with waste at George in the Park (and ideally, get people to take theirs home). I gather it was a mess in more than one way.

There is a certain irony in this that anyone who has tried to organise an event in an Auckland Council Park will testify. The waste management plan (along with Traffic, Risk management plans etc.) you have to submit for an event consent is really quite onerous.

They clearly don't apply the same rigour to their own events as they do to a school fundraiser.

From a personal perspective, it's tiring how often we have to address and re-address what looks very much to be blatant racism in the mainstream media.

I ended up having to choose going to this event, and an Art Fest event in Sandringham. It turned out it was a wise choice, and I'm just wondering which media to use to bang on about all the things that made Sandringham Village 'work' on a Saturday evening.

In a professional capacity: You are welcome to forward through your thoughts and experiences to the Local Board. We are also very concerned about the reports from the public regarding what was actually delivered at this event.

A group of KCs turned up

I'm guessing this means "King Cobras"? Not all of us live north of Bombay or are hip to your dialect, y'know.

But in respect of your lede, "Polynesia is to blame for violence but white people in the park are rowdy youth" is sadly nothing surprising.

There is a certain irony in this that anyone who has tried to organise an event in an Auckland Council Park will testify. The waste management plan (along with Traffic, Risk management plans etc.) you have to submit for an event consent is really quite onerous.

They clearly don't apply the same rigour to their own events as they do to a school fundraiser.

You make an excellent point.

A woman has written about being sexually assaulted in the crowd at George in the Park. Her husband was king-hit as he dragged her to safety.

https://www.facebook.com/bassjunkie84/posts/10212207357396311

It's us

Quite.

That media coverage of the PolyFest was terrible. I wonder if the journalist involved have ever been to the event. Let alone seen the diligence, discipline and hard-work taken by the organisers, performers and supporters to create that event.
Those media companies are the ones guilty of beating up on people.

Yup, I actually read the Herald for the first time in ages that day, and that crap about Polyfest made me promptly close the window. Racism and hypocrisy are not a great mix.

Kia ora

Interesting how Stuff have just posted an article on George in the Park.

Interesting how Stuff have just posted an article on George in the Park.

Maybe they think that dude covered in mud is a Person Of Colour...

Kia ora

Interesting how Stuff have just posted an article on George in the Park.

Indeed. From that story

He said the “chaos” from 6.15pm to about 9pm in the surrounding area was “unbelievable”.

“One guy fell off a cliff, face first into the oyster beds. The muddy guy almost drowned and was dragged to the shore – they almost didn’t see him as he was camouflaged in the mud,” he said.

“People were running right over the top of cars parked on Pt Chevalier Rd, vomiting and urinating in people’s gardens and on footpaths – broken glass everywhere.”

The man said violence unravelled after the event.

Sue Devitt had a young man enter her house on Dingan St.

“Having a young psychotic man in your house uninvited is frightening for sure.”

This was the second year George in the Park has run, with last year’s event held at Western Park in Ponsonby.

He said this year’s post-event behaviour appeared worse than last year.

It’s interesting that George FM is blaming the council (according to the post by the woman who was sexually assaulted). Things could clearly have been handled better in a range of ways, but this doesn’t happen at any other Music in Parks events. It’s tempting to suppose that the George FM audience has a pretty high douchebag ratio.

Was TVNZ's head of news in charge of the offending headline & story? If so, it's not the first time he's been involved in racial controversy.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/politics/77889923/Maori-MPs-claim-TVNZ-KiwiMeter-survey-incites-racial-intolerance