[comment caption=Should Oamaru welcome the Undie 500?]Dunedin may be replaced by Oamaru as the destination for participants in this year's Undie 500 student car rally, but only if organisers can guarantee participants will behave.
The organisers of the event - the University of Canterbury's Engineering Society (Ensoc) - have had informal discussions with the Waitaki District Council, high-ranking southern region police officers and other agencies in Oamaru about bringing the Undie 500 and a big concert to Oamaru.
But all, including Ensoc president Graeme Walker, emphasised yesterday, when contacted by the Otago Daily Times, no decision had been made.
Mr Walker said August was being considered for such an event, and Ensoc's website lists August 22 for what would be 20th anniversary of the Undie 500.
Further discussions were planned at a meeting in Oamaru on Thursday..
The Undie 500 is an annual rally of vehicles valued at less than $500, from Christchurch to Dunedin and back, which has resulted in multiple arrests in the past two years after alcohol-fuelled disorder in Dunedin.
After last year's event, which saw several hundred people clash with police, Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin, along with representatives of the police, Fire Service, and the University of Otago, told rally organisers the event would not be welcome in Dunedin.
Yesterday, Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton and police emphasised that, before this year's event could come to Oamaru, there had to be a guarantee there would be no repeat of last year's disorder.
Mr Familton confirmed he had been approached by Ensoc about staging "a student event" in Oamaru, including a concert.
"I see it as a situation which, if handled properly and all the safeguards are in place, there is no reason why it can't be a positive event for Oamaru," he said.
The organisers would be required to obtain all "the legal and local provisions" to stage the event. "Providing they do that, it should be a reasonable gathering of young people."
Mr Familton said there had been no discussions on specific venues which was "being left wide open". Organisers were looking for a venue where they could hold a concert.
"The Undie 500 itself is apart from us - that is a matter for other agencies, such as Transit and police," he said.
The community's focus would be on the concert, which would involve a variety of top bands.
Mr Walker said Ensoc wanted to hold a concert in Oamaru for Canterbury and Otago students. Young people from Oamaru might also be allowed to attend.
However, when questioned, he said it would be part of the Undie 500. Oamaru would be a "great venue".
People were still keen to take part in the Undie 500 and Ensoc wanted to "hold a controlled event". "We feel centres other than Dunedin would feel more a part of it," he said.
Police southern districts operations manager, Inspector Lane Todd, said the meeting on Thursday was to discuss the possibility of an event in Oamaru. "There is no firm undertaking at this stage whether it will proceed or not," Insp Todd said.
Police would be looking at various things such as security, whether liquor would be sold or served and issues of law and order.
However, Otago Chamber of Commerce Waitaki representative Fraser McKenzie was sceptical about such an event being held in Oamaru. "It would have to be so tightly controlled that I'm not sure it would be successful."
Mr McKenzie - who spent four years at Lincoln University and got "involved in all sorts of things" - said students might come with the best of intentions, but questioned how they could be controlled. He could not see how Oamaru could accommodate hundreds of visitors - "and why would we want to?"
Otago University Students' Association president Simon Wilson said yesterday he was aware of the proposal but it was still in the very early stages. OUSA was not involved in organising it.