Event promoters may soon have to pay more to use Farley Hill National Park.
This was revealed by Keith Neblett, general manager of the National Conservation Commission (NCC), following the controversy that erupted after the annual Reggae On The Hill show earlier this month.
Neblett said the NCC was preparing to repair damage caused by “the pounding of revellers” and heavy rains that denuded a wide area of Farley Hill, which will be closed off to effect rehabilitation through the replanting of grass.
Neblett said a recommendation for an increase in fees at all NCC-controlled areas was also being made to the Ministry of the Environment Water Resources and Drainage.
He, however, declined to give figures for fees currently charged, explaining this depended on varying conditions and considerations.
He said that large tracts of zoysia, a more sturdy grass better suited to the heavy pedestrian traffic, would be planted at Farley Hill.
This weekend thousands are expected to descend on Farley Hill for the climax of Gospel Fest’s One Awesome Day. Then on July 16, a massive crowd of soca fans will gather there for the annual Soca On The Hill.
Yesterday the NCC boss explained that while he would encourage promoters to continue to use the park, he would also suggest “better spacing” of events to avoid having them rained out.
He noted the tendency was to stage most of these major events during the rainy season “and we have to look at that”.
“They (promoters)?are going to have to realise that if there is an event and the rain falls, they can relocate it to an enclosed venue,” he said following Reggae On The Hill whose promoters had complained of heavy losses and threatened legal action after its postponement.
“They need to take the pressure off us in trying to facilitate these things because of the significant amount of money they have to invest.”
Neblett also said promoters should “start looking for specific insurance that can cover them” for such eventualities. But he maintained the NCC had to be in a position “to say within 24 hours ‘it cannot be held’ irrespective of what investment has been made”.
The NCC?boss emphasised: “Our primary function is to protect the park and I think in any further use of the park, those are some of the conditions that would have to be dealt with.”
He said the commission planned to hold discussions with the promoters to thrash out these matters.
