Thursday, 8 October 2015

Council to explore new opportunities for NZ IceFest

Christchurch City Council's decision to delay next year's NZ IceFest will ultimately result in a better event for the city, says Councillor Andrew Turner.

The Council's Communities, Housing and Economic Development Committee today approved delaying the 2016 festival until further decisions could be made around its long-term objectives.

The Committee's decision was based on a commissioned review of the festival, which, among other things, outlined the need for the event to fully align with the Council's upcoming Antarctic Strategy.

"NZ IceFest is an important event for the city that celebrates our exciting relationship with Antarctica," says Councillor Turner, a member of the NZ IceFest Governance Group.

"In order to run the best possible event for the community, it's important we take a step back and revisit our approach to it.

"That means having further discussions and exploring new opportunities for the festival, with the aim that Christchurch keeps benefiting from our unique position as the world's gateway to Antarctica."

In place of next year's scheduled NZ IceFest, the Council has agreed to run a small-scale Antarctic-themed event to celebrate and support the opening of the 2016 Antarctic Season in October.

The Council will also look into forming a trust to deliver the equivalent of NZ IceFest in the future.

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