The Matamata-Piako District has a range of great facilities for your next event. Whether you're organising a wedding, an A&P show, an expo or the next big community event, there will be loads of things you need to consider. Here are some links and tips that will help make your event run smoothly.

Make an event booking

One of the most important things you need to do is book your venue. Council staff will assess your request and will contact you to confirm your booking. We may also contact you for further details or with additional requirements (e.g. if your event requires a resource consent).

If you are organising a major event, we can also assign a Case Manager to help guide you through Council requirements - give us a call on 0800 746 467 to arrange this.

Make a booking request

Road closures

If you want to close a road or part of a road you will need to apply for a temporary road closure. The law requires road closures to be advertised in the papers at least six weeks before your event, so you must lodge your application with council at least eight weeks before your event.

Event safety

Health and safety for both event organisers and the public is one of Council's top priorities. Depending on the size and nature of your event, we may require you to complete a Safety Management Plan. If a plan is required, we will contact you about this as part of the booking process.

You can find information about common hazard areas that you should consider while preparing for your event in Table 1 of the WorkSafe guidance Managing risks at events. This is by no means an exhaustive list as every event is unique, but it can be used as a starting point to identify hazards at your event.

Your event will need to comply with the requirements of the Public Safety Bylaw - this bylaw specifies rules around a range of different public safety issues (e.g. fire, structures, animals, signage, food hygiene etc). Please read the bylaw and call us on 07 884 0060 if you have any questions about the rules/requirements.

We also recommend you contact local emergency services to advise them of your event.

Fire and fire works

If your event involves fire (including chinese lanterns), you will need to check the fire season. During a restricted fire season you will require a fire permit; whether or not a permit can be issued will depend on the fire danger. If you will be lighting fireworks we recommend advising neighbours about the event and the noise effects.
WorkSafe New Zealand also have a code of practice for outdoor pyrotechnic displays.

Selling food and/or alcohol

Any event where alcohol will be sold will require an alcohol licence - usually a special licence. More about different licence types, fees and applications is available under Alcohol Licensing. If you need a Special Licence you need to lodge your application with Council at least 20 working days before your event.

Anyone selling food at your event will need to comply with the requirements in the Public Safety Bylaw. 

Signage and promotion

There are rules around where you can have signage promoting your event, as well requirements for those signs (e.g. minimum letter heights if the sign is visible from the road). For rules around signage refer to section 5 of the Public Safety Bylaw and section 3.9 of the District Plan.

We can advertise your event for free on our Events Calendar - to have your event added to this calendar fill in the form on the contact us page. The local i-SITE Visitor Information Centres also have events calendars on their website and may be able to help promote your event.

Noise

If your event is going to use or cause noise (e.g. live bands, PA systems, DJs, crowd noise, loud vehicles etc) we recommend advising neighbours about the event and the noise effects. If your event requires a resource consent, this may be a requirement of your consent.

Resource and Building Consents

Some events may trigger the requirement for a building consent (e.g. for marquees or amusement devices) and/or resource consent (e.g. for significant noise, traffic, or amenity effects). If a consent is required, we will contact you about this as part of the booking process.

Land-borne inflatable devices

Land-borne inflatable devices such as bouncy castles and inflatable slides must be operated in line with WorkSafe’s requirements for land-borne inflatable devices  and must meet the Australian Standard AS 3533. Providers who are unable to demonstrate that their devices meet the Australian Standard are not permitted to operate on public open space.

If you are planning to have a land-borne inflatable device at your event, please ensure that you allow sufficient time to provide:

• Evidence that the device meets the requirements of Australian Standard 3533.4.1
• A safety management plan that describes how staff, users and the people within the vicinity will be kept safe from being harmed. Our safety and wellness team can provide you with guidance on this.

Aircraft (e.g. helicopters and hot air balloons)

You must get permission under the Public Safety Bylaw to operate aircraft in any public place (including parks). If your event involves aircraft, please indicate this on your application form and we will contact you for further information (such as landing zones, operating procedures, public liability insurance etc) before confirming Council permission. There is no cost for this, however you need to apply to Council for permission at least 10 working days before your event.

Drones/UAVs/RPAS

The rules in the Public Safety Bylaw around aircraft also currently apply to UAVs. Much like aircraft, if your event involves UAVs, please indicate this on your application form and we will contact you for further information before confirming Council permission. Approval (if issued) will be subject to conditions including compliance with the relevant Civil Aviation Authority regulations and may include other conditions if necessary,
such as restricting it to a particular part of the park or during certain times of the day.There is no cost for this, however you need to apply to Council for permission at least 10 working days before your event.

Changes to your event

Please note, if there are any changes to your event that you've booked with Council it's important to let us know about them as the requirements could also change.