Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
Piopio’s Christmas parade will be back on the road again.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
This year’s parade saw the Project Piopio Trust had hit a roadblock due to increasing costs – but thanks to some last minute hard mahi, it will now go ahead on Christmas Eve as originally planned.
“We are extremely excited to finally get the planning for the parade on State Highway 3 over the line,” the trust’s Nicky Atkinson said.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
New risk-based assessments for road closures seemed to be a bridge too far for organisers to tackle, but following publicity in the King Country News, assistance from NZTA, Waitomo District Council and local contractors ensured the show would go ahead.
“The community was extremely disgruntled about not having their traditional parade this year, but it didn’t seem like there was much more we could do,” Atkinson said.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
“That was until The News published a front page article. We then had a rush of attention from media and the Ministry for Regulation, NZTA, several traffic management companies and others all contacted us offering to help.”
An appeal from Carley Simpson, the parade’s main organiser, also seems to have rallied the troops.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
“Carley has worked so hard to make sure it’s such a fun event for locals, especially the kids,” Atkinson said. “She was so gutted when she heard we may have to stop our traditional parade that she wrote a heartfelt post online which touched many locals. She said that, as a child she’d loved being on the floats and one of her dreams was to organise the Christmas parade.”
Another King Country resident was pleased to lend a hand.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
“It is a credit to the community and Project Piopio Trust that we have the parade back again,” Waitomo District mayor John Robertson said. “It is seldom that communities can change the mindset of organisations based in Wellington, but collectively we did just that.
“NZTA pulled out all stops, local MP Barbara Kuriger made some noise and council assisted. This is a great example of a can-do approach to resolving an issue. I look forward to the parade – long may it continue.”
Although floats were still to play a role in an alternative event, Jingle and Mingle on the Green, they were expected to remain roadside; now, they will be on the road again.
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
“We had actually admitted defeat and planned an alternative, static Christmas event on Weka Street,” Atkinson said. “But it now sounds like people are making even more of an effort to get their floats together this year – we are trying to beat our usual amount of around 12 floats.”
There’s now a little more work ahead for the trust, but Atkinson doesn’t seem to mind.
“The community is absolutely buzzing. We will be forever grateful to everyone who helped get our parade back on track.”
Piopio Xmas parade. Supplied Project Piopio Trust
