The Ashburton Market Day is under review after there were “some concerns raised” from the last event.
That market day was held on September 28 and required a road closure along East St in front of Baring Square East – home of the iconic clock tower and Te Whare Whakatere, Ashburton’s library and civic centre.
Council compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said a debrief and/or review is normal practice for events approved by council.
He declined to comment on what concerns were raised or who raised them.
“We won’t be commenting on any concerns until the review is completed.
“As with all events, we check that what happened on the day aligned with health and safety plans and traffic management agreed to by the organiser before the event.”
Market day organiser Carol Johns said she knew that, like every other time she has held an event, it was being reviewed.
Johns was aware of “a drama to do with the traffic management plan road closure around the Havelock St closure, but I'm not aware of anything else”.
“That doesn't mean there won't be of course.”
The review taking place was missed as an item on the council’s recent audit, risk, and finance committee meeting and had to be raised as a matter of extraordinary business “as staff wanted to give councillors a heads up that the review process had begun”.
At the meeting, Hyde told the committee the council was in the “early stages of undertaking a review of what went on at the event”.
“There's been some concerns raised about some of the things that went on there.”
As the review is underway, “it's not really appropriate to say whether or not there was anything out of the ordinary or untoward that occurred”.
Hyde said it wasn't about event planning, permits, or approvals, “it was to do with what might have occurred on the day”.
The review will “look at what went on, discuss with all parties, and then work out how, if necessary, we can improve for the future.”
The review will be presented at the next audit and risk committee meeting in December.
Meanwhile, Johns said this year will be the last time for the event at the Baring Square site.
“The event will not be held in that location again due to the ever-increasing costs for road closure and council fees.”
She did not confirm where the new location will be.
The event, previously known as Boulevard Day, was run by the Ashburton Retailers Association and held on South Canterbury Anniversary Day, on the fourth Monday of September, which is not an Ashburton District public holiday.
It was held on Ashburton’s main street for 45 years before the CBD was a construction zone in 2021, forcing it to be held in the Ashburton Domain that year.
That event then folded, and the association disbanded.
Johns, a former member of the disbanded Ashburton Business Association, launched her own Market Day event in 2022 against opposition from local retailers.
The market day was forced to move further north on East St, to Baring Square East, last year after the council voted to ban daytime road closures south of Havelock St following complaints from retailers.
With a review ongoing for the market day, Johns said her current focus is preparing for her next big event, the Mid Canterbury Santa Parade on December 5 that “will be huge” after begin on the verge of being cancelled earlier this year.
