Police in Wanaka are well prepared for the influx of visitors expected in the next month.
As in previous years, extra police will be brought in from the surrounding district to help with the thousands of people expected to visit Upper Clutha.
Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell said the exact number of extra police in the region was operationally sensitive but noted there would be a very visible police presence.
A large number of visitors were expected to start arriving from Boxing Day and extra police would already be stationed in Wanaka, Snr Sgt Grindell said. More officers would arrive closer to December 31 when visitor numbers would be at their highest, he said.
"We have the events based at Lake Hawea and the Wanaka Rodeo all around December 31, so it will be busy but both events have management plans in place and we work with them on those."
There would also be a large police presence in Wanaka for the town’s New Year’s Eve celebrations, he said.
Police would also be based at the Rhythm and Alps festival in the Cardrona Valley, which is expected to attract up to at least 7000 people.
In the three years the two-day festival had been based in the Cardrona Valley there had been relatively few incidents requiring police intervention, Snr Sgt Grindell said.
"I think we’ve had to maybe throw a couple of people out for disorderly conduct but overall the organisers do a very good job at managing the event and, obviously, we liaise with them and have a very good relationship," he said.
Festival director Alex Turnbull said the organiser worked very closely with police to ensure the event was well managed. Most of the conversations festival organisers had with police were on the management of alcohol, he said.
Mr Turnbull said he was "stoked" with the number of tickets that had already been sold and expected they would be close to reaching the 7500 capacity.
About 1700 tickets with camping spots were available for December 31 and only 300 two-day passes, without camping, were left, he said.
