Media release
23 November 2021
23 November 2021
A grinch named Covid steals Christmas Parade
With Whanganui predicted to move directly into the ‘red light’ setting when the new Covid Traffic Light regulations come into place on December 3, the city’s much-loved Mainstreet Christmas Parade has regrettably had to been cancelled this year.
Like event organisers across the country, Mainstreet Whanganui’s Tom Langford says the arrival of the Delta variant in Aotearoa had forced their team to reconsider plans for summer events.
“Realistically it was never going to be easy to safely run a Christmas Parade at the moment, even under Level Two conditions. But under the new Traffic Light system it would be virtually impossible – as that system mandates that any event with more than 100 people requires the use of vaccine passports, which in turn means we’d need a fenced-off events space with strict controls on entry.”
Based on the advice they’ve received, Langford says it also appears Whanganui will be moving directly into the ‘Red Light’ setting – which makes it even more tricky, as the maximum number of people at events (without vaccine passports being enforced) drops to just 10 people.
Langford says Mainstreet are still considering options for an alternative ‘event’ of sorts where kids could meet Santa safely under the new Traffic Light regulations – however they’re awaiting more clarity from the Government on what regulations will look like for smaller scale community events.
“For the most part, the regulations seem geared towards either large-scale summer festivals or small-scale private events like weddings etc. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of guidance for non-ticketed community events that sit somewhere in between – and I think that’s something that events planners across the country are grappling with at the moment,” said Langford.
“We’d love to be able to put something on for the community, because we could all do with some Christmas cheer after such a challenging year – but for now we’ll have to wait and see what guidance the Government can provide us.”
For more information, email info@mainstreetwhanganui.co.nz
Like event organisers across the country, Mainstreet Whanganui’s Tom Langford says the arrival of the Delta variant in Aotearoa had forced their team to reconsider plans for summer events.
“Realistically it was never going to be easy to safely run a Christmas Parade at the moment, even under Level Two conditions. But under the new Traffic Light system it would be virtually impossible – as that system mandates that any event with more than 100 people requires the use of vaccine passports, which in turn means we’d need a fenced-off events space with strict controls on entry.”
Based on the advice they’ve received, Langford says it also appears Whanganui will be moving directly into the ‘Red Light’ setting – which makes it even more tricky, as the maximum number of people at events (without vaccine passports being enforced) drops to just 10 people.
Langford says Mainstreet are still considering options for an alternative ‘event’ of sorts where kids could meet Santa safely under the new Traffic Light regulations – however they’re awaiting more clarity from the Government on what regulations will look like for smaller scale community events.
“For the most part, the regulations seem geared towards either large-scale summer festivals or small-scale private events like weddings etc. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of guidance for non-ticketed community events that sit somewhere in between – and I think that’s something that events planners across the country are grappling with at the moment,” said Langford.
“We’d love to be able to put something on for the community, because we could all do with some Christmas cheer after such a challenging year – but for now we’ll have to wait and see what guidance the Government can provide us.”
For more information, email info@mainstreetwhanganui.co.nz
Media release
2 November 2021
2 November 2021
Mainstreet Whanganui announces newly elected Board
Mainstreet Whanganui has formally announced the election of its new Board for 2021/22 – with Christina Emery confirmed as the new Chairperson. The Board, which provides governance and steers policy for the management of Whanganui’s central business district, features several new faces as well as some familiar ones.
New Chairperson, Christina Emery, is a well-respected member of the Whanganui business community and current General Sales Manager at NZME Whanganui. She is also widely known for her advocacy work with Pride Whanganui and other local charities.
Emery says she’s looking forward to working with Mainstreet Whanganui manager Des Warahi and his team to help develop Whanganui's CBD into an even more compelling destination for locals and visitors alike.
“I’m excited to work alongside Des, his team and all our Mainstreet members to meet the needs of local businesses and customers. I know life has been far from normal since the emergence of Covid-19, but we’ve seen some incredible resilience and innovation from local businesses to adapt and, in many cases, thrive. I hope we can harness this kind of energy in future to bring about even better outcomes for our central city.”
Emery also acknowledged the work of the previous Chair, Rachel Brandon – as well as departing Board members Russell Duggan and Ananda de Koning.
“As one of our first female Chairs, Rachel has been something of a trailblazer for a Board which in the past has been perceived as a bit of an ‘old boys club’. Russell and Ananda also leave very big shoes to fill – their unwavering passion and business acumen has been a great asset to Mainstreet.”
Brandon will stay on as a board member, along with other 2020/21 members Pat Clay (Deputy Chair), Cathy Lee Amer, Carla McKinnon and Steven Kerridge. New faces on the Board for 2021/22 include Mark Dyhrberg, Dave Moore, Stephen Poka and John Anderson.
For more information, email info@mainstreetwhanganui.co.nz
New Chairperson, Christina Emery, is a well-respected member of the Whanganui business community and current General Sales Manager at NZME Whanganui. She is also widely known for her advocacy work with Pride Whanganui and other local charities.
Emery says she’s looking forward to working with Mainstreet Whanganui manager Des Warahi and his team to help develop Whanganui's CBD into an even more compelling destination for locals and visitors alike.
“I’m excited to work alongside Des, his team and all our Mainstreet members to meet the needs of local businesses and customers. I know life has been far from normal since the emergence of Covid-19, but we’ve seen some incredible resilience and innovation from local businesses to adapt and, in many cases, thrive. I hope we can harness this kind of energy in future to bring about even better outcomes for our central city.”
Emery also acknowledged the work of the previous Chair, Rachel Brandon – as well as departing Board members Russell Duggan and Ananda de Koning.
“As one of our first female Chairs, Rachel has been something of a trailblazer for a Board which in the past has been perceived as a bit of an ‘old boys club’. Russell and Ananda also leave very big shoes to fill – their unwavering passion and business acumen has been a great asset to Mainstreet.”
Brandon will stay on as a board member, along with other 2020/21 members Pat Clay (Deputy Chair), Cathy Lee Amer, Carla McKinnon and Steven Kerridge. New faces on the Board for 2021/22 include Mark Dyhrberg, Dave Moore, Stephen Poka and John Anderson.
For more information, email info@mainstreetwhanganui.co.nz
