Organisers of Rhythm and Vines have decided they will only go ahead with the New Year's music festival if the 90 per cent vaccination rate is hit.
East Coast MP Kiri Allan told 1News the organisers met with DHB, police and St John Ambulance a couple of days ago and discussed how best to keep their community safe.
"It was great to get the undertaking from the RnV directors, safety is at the forefront of their mind as well, they didn't want to proceed unless we to that 90 per cent vaccination point," Allan said.
"If we don't achieve that 90 per cent, they don't want to hold the event here."
Allan said she supported the RnV organisers in their stance.
"We love to have the 50,000-odd young bucks come to Gisborne, we love that over our summer period but at the forefront of our mind is the health, safety and wellbeing of the community here," she said.
"We've got a bit of work to do to get to that 90 per cent."
ACT Leader David Seymour has slammed the stance though, saying the Government needs to stop "holding fun hostage" and finalise a Freedom Day for Kiwis.
“This morning Minister Kiri Allan said Rhythm and Vines would not go ahead if the Tairawhiti DHB did not reach 90 per cent vaccination in time, when projections are the DHB won’t get there until January 12," Seymour said.
Gisborne, who hosts the annual three-day gig every year, sits in the Tairāwhiti DHB, which Allan conceded is "lagging the most" at the moment with vaccination rates of 79 per cent for first doses and only 65 per cent for second doses.
Seymour said the Government's promise of a Kiwi summer to those who are vaccinated is "broken by default".
“People were promised a summer now they don’t even know if they’ll get an allocated time to leave town and if they do, there’ll be no events to go to anyway," he said.
“We need things to look forward to but why would promoters bother with all the uncertainty.
“ACT believes December 1 should be Freedom Day. By that date, everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated and we should open up and get on with life.”
SHARE ME