Music festival welcome again

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33120, 10 January 1973, Page 2

Music festival welcome again

(New Zealand Press Association

HAMILTON, Jan. 9.

The Mayor of Ngaruawahia (Mr A. M. Latta) said today that he would welcome another pop music festival in the town. He said the three-day festival just ended was a tremendous occasion, both for Ngaruawahia and for all the people who attended it.

“The festival was very well organised. There was no litter problem, and the behaviour all round was excellent, particularly in town. They obviously came just to relax and enjoy the music and the environment,” Mr Latta said.

"It was a very stimulating experience for Ngaruawahia to have all those young people in town —they were all so polite, and had a tremendous respect for property. Yes, we’d welcome them back.”

Chief Inspector J. G. B. Rossiter, the officer in charge of the 90 police who attended the music festival daily, said about 250 complaints had been received from people who had lost transistor radios, sleeping bags, and 1 even tents.

“People left their gear around in gay abandon, and expected it to be still there when they returned,” he said.

Apart from these thefts the behaviour at the festival was generally good. The festival might be repeated next year, and might become an annual event, the Auckland promoter, Mr Robert Raymond, said. “There are a lot of organisation problems, and a lot of different authorities would have to give their permission, but I would certainly like to see it happen again,” he said. His partner, Mr Barry Coburn, said they had learnt a lot from this festival, and another could only be an improvement.

“I never realised just what a vast amount of rubbish 18,000 people could make, for example,” Mr Coburn said. “If you allow for two cans of drink a day for each person that’s 36,000 cans—which makes quite a bit of litter. I “But people have been I really good about rubbish, ! and it won’t take us too long i to clean up.”