Events in the Hastings District

If you’re planning an event in the Hastings District, notify us by completing our Event Notification Form, preferably six weeks prior.

By completing our Event Notification Form, we can help you determine what licences and bookings you’ll need to apply for. 

We issue licences when supplying alcohol, food or merchandise, book parks and reserves on your behalf, promote your event via tourism signs, banners and flags, and work to ensure your event complies with building, noise and traffic regulations.

Before completing the Event Notification Form, read our guidelines on what’s involved when having an event in the Hastings District.

Waivers & sponsorship

The funding round for 2010-2011 has already been allocated.

If you’re a charitable or not-for-profit organisation running an event in the Hastings District, you’re eligible for waivers and exemptions.

Grant of Service waiver

The Grant of Service waivers the cost for rubbish and recycling bins, a council park or reserve hire fee, and/or a discount for booking venues. To be eligible:

• the application organisation must be a not-for-profit organisation
• the purpose for which the grant is sought must benefit significant numbers of residents of the Hastings District
• the project (event) must be accessible to the wider community
• only one application per year will be considered
• grants of up to 100% of service costs will be considered, however normally the applicant is expected to contribute a proportion of the costs.

You’ll be asked to indicate on the Event Notification Form what you require from council. We may send you out a Grant for Service Waiver form if we require more information.

Selling food and merchandise (Stall Holders Licence) waivers

As well as being able to apply for a Grant for Service, charitable or not-for-profit organisations selling food or merchandise at your event are exempt from applying for a Stall Holders Licence, but still need to complete a Food Safety Questionnaire to ensure food safety and hygiene standards are met.

Sponsorship

If your event is in line with our Event Strategy, we’ll also assess it against our criteria to be eligible for Hastings District Council sponsorship. Indicate on the Event Notification Form what you require from council in the form of sponsorship.

Book a park or reserve

Council has 39 parks and reserves in the Hastings District available for you to hire. Usually a hire fee applies as well as a bond to ensure the quality of the grounds after your event.

A Service Level Agreement will be sent to you once you’ve booked a park or reserve via the Event Notification Form.

View the list of parks and reserves available to hire:

• Akina Park
• Anderson Park
• Bill Mathewson Park
• Chatham Park
• Civic Square
• Clive Ski Reserve
• Cornwall Park
• Duart House
• Duke Street Reserve
• Ebbett Park
• Eskdale Park
• Flaxmere Park
• Flaxmere Village Green
• Frimley Park
• Guthrie Park
• Haumoana Domain
• Haumoana Memorial Park
• Havelock North Domain
• Keirunga Gardens
• Kingsgate Reserve
• Kirkpatrick Park
• Lochain Park
• Ocean Beach Reserve
• Palmbrook Reserve
• Puketapu Park
• Queen's Square
• Reeve Drive Reserve
• Ron Giorgi Park I
• Ron Giorgi Park II
• Ron Giorgi Park III
• St Aubyn Street Reserve
• St Leonards Park
• Tainui Reserve
• Tamatea Street Reserve
• Tanner Street Reserve
• Te Awanga Domain
• Waimarama Domain
• Waipatiki Domain
• Windsor Park

Rubbish and recycling

Recycling during your event can reduce the amount of rubbish disposed at a landfill.

If you haven’t contracted an external waste management company to manage your waste for you, council offers rubbish bins and recycling bins to hire at $6 each. We will drop the bins off to your event, and collect after your event.

Indicate whether you’d like to hire our rubbish and recycling bins on the Event Notification Form.

Traffic management & road closures

Traffic Management Plans

Will any part of your event be on the road or restricting vehicle or pedestrian access? If so, a Traffic Management Plan will be required to be submitted to council by a certified Site Traffic Management Supervisor.

We recommended the following certified companies in Hawke’s Bay:

• Ivan Aplin - Hawke's Bay Equipment Trust 0272210497 ivan.jo@clear.co.nz or
• Rodney McClelland – Traffic Management Hawke’s Bay 027 246 9395 rodney@traffichb.co.nz or
• Cyrus Tawhara – Site Traffic Management Solutions 027 506 6561 cadara@xtra.co.nz  

Temporary road closures

To temporarily close all or part of a road in the Hastings District, you’ll need to allow up to two months for council to go through the official approval process. The process is a requirement of the Local Government Act 1974.

If you’re unsure of the process, once you’ve completed our Event Notification Form, we’ll send you the correct forms to fill in. If you are familiar with the process, use the forms below:

To apply, you’ll need to complete a Temporary Road Closure (DOC or PDF) application form and attach the following:

• Traffic Management Plan
• Event Safety Plan which should document the plan you've put in place if there's an accident at your event, eg having St John's present
• A completed Resident visiting form (XLS 32kB) showing all residents or businesses adjoining the proposed closure area have been visited and given details of your proposal
• A copy of Public Liability Insurance for not less than $500,000 ($1million for races, rallies and similar events)
• Potentially a road damage bond - discuss with our roading team first 

Council charges you $640 to close a road in the Hastings District. The cost of a Traffic Managment Plan is separate to this and should be discussed with your traffic management provider.

Portable / temporary structures

If you’re erecting tents or marquees over 100m2, platforms/staging over 1m high or scaffold towers and grandstands, you’ll need to apply for a building consent. Our building team work with you to ensure the work complies with the Building Code in terms of safety.

You will be asked to Indicate on the Event Notification Form what kind of portable or temporary structures you’ll be having at your event and you'll most likely be asked to include the following information with your building consent application:

• Site plan showing location of marquee and distances (approx) to boundary
• Floor plan of marquee showing:
  • seating layout if applicable
  • exit points - number dependant on size of marquee and occupant load (with signage)
  • stage configuration if applicable
  • fire safety systems such as portable alarms and extinguishers 
• Design specifications of marquee including wind load calculations and occupant load (how many people)
• Basic fire design calculation for occupancy

Food

If food is sold at your event, the individual food stall holder must apply to council for a Stall Holders Licence (PDF 81kB). This excludes stalls raising money for charity.

Charitable food stalls

If a food stall holder at your event is raising money for charity (including sausage sizzles and home baking), they’ll need to complete our Food Safety Questionnaire and send back to us. These stall holders don’t require a Stall Holders Licence but must adhere to our Food Safety Guidelines

These stall holders will need to supply either an IRD number, copy of IRD certification or written confirmation from the organisation receiving the funds.

Pre-licensed vendors

If you’re using pre-licensed vendors at your event, you simply need to put the name, contact details and Stall Holders licence number for each vendor on the Event Notification Form. The details on the form will be checked by our Environmental Health Team to ensure all the correct licences are in place.

Non-licensed vendors

If you are to have food stalls at your event which aren’t already licensed with any council, the person running the stall needs to apply for a Stall Holder’s Licence. Include these stalls on the Event Notification Form, and notify the stall holders of the requirement to apply for a licence. Allow two weeks for the processing of the licence.

Event organisers responsibility

As an event organiser, it’s your responsibility to ensure all food stalls operating at your event have the correct licences. This includes ensuring charitable food stalls have completed the Food Safety Questionnaire and are following our Food Safety Guidelines.

During your event, an Environmental Health Officer must be allowed to access the site to ensure all food safety and health regulations are being followed.

Alcohol

If you want to supply alcohol at your event or there is a liquor ban in place at the location you choose, you may need to apply for a Special Licence (PDF 104kB).

Liquor in public places

Additional points to consider when supplying and drinking alcohol in public:

• there are a number of public places where the consumption of liquor is banned within the Hastings District
• whether a special licence overrides the liquor ban for that designated area.

Sensible hosting

If you are holding a small event with alcohol, here are some handy tips to be a responsible host:

• Arrange safe transport for your guests
• Plan to do things other than eating and drinking
• Provide substantial food - not just chippies - and appealing non-alcoholic drinks
• Consider serving alcohol in plastic as glass can be a hazard

Amusement devices – motorised rides

If you’re having motorised amusement devices (ferris wheel, merry-go-round, pony rides, anything with moveable parts) at your event, the individual amusement owner will need to apply to council for an Amusement Device Permit (PDF 42kB).

Please note a copy of the current Certificate of Registration for each device also needs to be supplied.

List the amusement device companies via the Event Notification Form. Our Environmental Health Team will check to ensure all amusement device companies have the correct licences in place.

Approval from surrounding neighbours

Some events can cause disruption to surrounding neighbours, and it can be helpful to keep those bordering the site of your event informed as part of your event planning. 

If your event does not meet the Hastings District Plan standards then a resource consent will be required, and if you are able to obtain the written approval of neighbours who we consider to be affected by your event, then your application may be dealt with without notification.

Complete the Event Notification Form and we can access whether you need to consider a resource consent.

Toilets

Council enforces the health and safety at events by ensuring there are enough toilets for people attending your event.
Council ensures the following applies for all events:

Females

• 1 toilet to 1-50 people
• 2 toilets for up to 80 attending

Males

• 1 toilet for 1-200 attending
• 2 toilets for up to 300 attending;

Promote your event

There are a few ways we can help you promote your event.

Online

Submit your event details to publish on the Hawke’s Bay events calendar via visithastings.co.nz

Signs, banners and flags

You can book space on our Heart of Hawke’s Bay tourism signs to promote your event, or erect your own signs on private property. For more information on signs, flags and banners see Event signs, banners and flags

Risk & insurance

It’s recommended you take out public liability insurance for protection if a third party brings an action against you or when there is risk of damage during your event. Submit your public liability certificate when you fill out the Notification Form.

FAQs

Q. Do I have to fill in an Event Notification Form each year?
A. Yes, we require you to complete the form each year as during that time, some laws, regulations, planning permissions or bylaws may have changed.

Q. Does council attend the event to check things like food, alcohol etc?
A. Yes, council attends all events we've been notified of to ensure all regulations are in place.