Riverton Blues & Jazz by the Sea organiser Jaimee McCabe and the event’s committee had their backs against the wall last Saturday after weather forced the festival to be postponed until Sunday.
The cancellation created stress and tears by the bucket-load, she said.
"Everything I did in the two years leading up, I did it again in three hours ... I’m running off adrenaline.
"It’s absolutely gnarly. What we went through was insane, and then finally the weather gods gave us some grace."
She believed anyone who was trying to organise an event in the seaside town was at the mercy of the weather — and some action was needed as soon as possible.
"What Riverton really needs is, we need to build a stage — end of story. We need to bring the sound shell back."
She believed it would attract even more events and potentially weekend markets that would add to Riverton’s relaxed seaside vibe.
"I’m buzzing. I know we can do this."
Built in 1958, the sound shell was owned by the Riverton Carnival Society until 1989 but was removed in 2016 because it was going to take up to $400,000 to make the structure earthquake compliant.
Ms McCabe decided to start a campaign for it and hoped it would have community backing rather than become a council-funded project that might inflate rates.
She said the Taramea Bay festival site had been in such a state — covered with mud and flooded — that it needed a community effort to make things ready.
"I want to talk to all our builders, our locals ... what we did [at the day of the event] has just proven that we did this as a community.
"Everyone had their jobs and we smashed it — the community came in, all those volunteers, everything just worked out.
"It was intense, but it was such a success because of the community. We all did it," Ms McCabe said.
Establishing the temporary festival stage cost about $15,000, but safe use was dependent on wind speed.
Ms McCabe hoped the festival committee would be able to steer the project, and that it would receive the support of the community, council and promotions agencies.
"I think we just all need to get together with the council and sit down and make a plan."
She hoped the new structure would be a modern design but still embrace the former rainbow design.
A double rainbow was glowing in the skies during the committee’s first site visit.
"To me, that was a sign of, yes, Jamie, let’s do it ... Everyone looked at each other, and we were like, yes, we’re going to do this."
Oraka Aparima community board chairman Michael Weusten said he would like Ms McCabe to present her idea to the community board at its next meeting on April 11.
"The major issue is when infrastructure is added, it’s the ongoing maintenance cost that is the killer.
"Even if the community fundraised for it, it needs to be a low-demand maintenance unit, but we’d certainly be interested to hear."
Mr Weusten believed it was possible if the initiative could be progressed with community fundraising and support.
"It would have to have buy-in from both the community board and the council. And it would have to be cost-neutral in terms of maintenance.
"If it was a coat of paint every 10 years and a new roof every 23 (years), that might be feasible," he said.
Riverton’s small ratepayer base had a lot of public amenities and reserves to maintain, he said.
"There’s certainly not any money in any budget to fund one from council resources. Everyone is so conscious of where rates are."
The Oraka Aparima area had a zero rates increase in the last budget round.
If the project was to go ahead, Mr Weusten said he would favour using local contractors so the money would stay in the area.
By Toni McDonald
