Contractors have been working at Pioneer Park to upgrade the electrical system before the Alexandra Blossom Festival next week.
At the Vincent Community Board meeting last week, Central Otago District Council parks and recreation manager Gordon Bailey said the council’s electrical contractor had reviewed the electrical network throughout Pioneer Park. They had advised an upgrade was required and it would cost $90,000.
The work was under way and would be funded from rates funded depreciation reserves in the Pioneer Park account, Mr Bailey said.
As well as the blossom festival, other events such a circus, markets and concerts were also held at Pioneer Park during other times of the year.
Blossom festival event manager Martin McPherson said the festival committee had progressively installed the existing electrical system in Pioneer Park about 30 years ago and donated it to the CODC.
It had been added to over the decades and money was last spent on it about 10 years ago, Mr McPherson said.
There was still more than a week to go until the blossom festival and he was confident the electrical work would be done in time.
It would future-proof the park for events, he said.
This year there will be 48 food and beverage vendors at the blossom festival with 35 needing electricity, as well as the carnival attractions.
‘‘It’s grown to where to fit any more in I’d need a bigger park.’’
Sites for food and drink vendors sold out in July. A wide range of food from Venezuelan street food to whitebait patties to burgers will be available along with local craft beers, ciders and wine, Mr McPherson said.
