Environmental Impacts:

Positive Impacts

A statement from the Resource Management Act website is effective in
identifying the number of environmental impacts as a result of Rhythm
and Vines, and their significance The evaluation of the impacts and
methods used, encouraged or enforced by the District Plan, RMA and the
thorough planning undertaken by the R & V management team that the
environmental impacts are minimal and in the long term investment may
lead to improvements From this, we notice how even though there are
several negative impacts on the environment due to RNV, people are
taking action to effectively minimise them and therefore their
significance.

A positive impact on the environment Rhythm and Vines has, is the
use of biodegradable packaging during the event. For the 2012
RNV festival for example, event organisers aimed to reduce the
plastic and foam (non-degradable) waste produced during the
event by using biodegradable food packaging. The positive in using
environmentally friendly packaging is that it has been produced
with no toxinous fumes and liquids released into the atmosphere
and in the environment (event grounds). As of the 2012 RNV
festival, all vendors at the event used biodegradable products such
as plates and cups for serving food on. Another small upside to
this action of creating biodegradable waste is that all of this waste
produced during the RNV event is fed to the local cows, fish and
worms. This biodegradable-packaging plan and action drastically
benefits the wellbeing of the environment, and diminishes the
negative impact on it furthermore. Because of this, the overall
significance of negative impact from the Rhythm and Vines
festivals on the environment is effectively minimised allowing
less of a long-term environmental impact overall, presenting a
unique positive/benefit to the environment.


On the Rhythm and Vines official websites, a statement under the
heading of how to be environmentally savvy and sustainable
during your time at Rhythm and Vines states that event organisers
have (as of 2012) enforced the message of reuse your tent. With
hundreds of tents having been left and abandoned by festival
attendees after RNV events, the Green Police have been put out in
force on event grounds for the last day of the festival. The act
includes these Green Police walking around the RNV camping
rounds during the event, offering to spray paint things like the
RNV logo onto peoples tents in hope to encourage people to
keep/take home the tents and use them again (for the next Rhythm
and Vines festival). This small action taken by the Rhythm and
Vines organisers have had positive impact on the environment as it
has meant that less people have been abandoning their tents on
site after the festival, and therefore leaving the grounds somewhat
undisturbed.

Negative Impacts

It is inevitable that land Rhythm and Vines is held on (the Waiohika
Estate) will be damaged over the course of the event. The festival
attendees leave all kinds of waste, such as empty bottles (sometimes
glass), plastic bags, food packets, all of which are un-biodegradable,
or take an extensive period of time to be successfully decomposed.
Because of this, the natural environment of the Waihika Estate is
negatively impacted in a way which means (unless cleaners remove
all waste left after the RNV festival), waste, of which could
potentially contain toxinous chemical and liquids, may affect the soil
composition and/or kill plants or animals if they were to consume it.
An example of the physical environmental impact post-Rhythm and
Vines festivals in fact have, the image presented below clearly shows
how negative it was in fact be:

Another negative impact, however one that is less affecting on the
environment compared to waste disposal, is the destruction of the
grassland area (the Waiohika Estate) Rhythm and Vines has
continued to take place on. In the event of the three-day festival
taking place during considerably wet weather such as rain/hail, this
in a combination of around 30,000 people walking all around the
grounds would flatten and churn up the grass area. This is obviously
negative impacting on the environment in the short-term, however is
not largely significant as the grass area would eventually rejuvenate
and grow back after a short time as long as other large gatherings
(such like RNV) were to continuously take place in the same area.






















Significance of Impacts

The significance of environmental impact Rhytham and Vines has proven not to be totally extreme (in a negative way). This is mainly due to the
extensive planning and clean up processes involved before and after the festival takes place annually to ensure that the environment does not
suffer any lasting damage. From this, it is evident that the impact of the festival on the natural environment on which it is held is not long-term
(extremely significant).
There are several positive approaches towards achieving environmental sustainability during Rhythm and Vines festivals in order for the impact
on the host environment (the Waiohika) to suffer minimal negative impact. RNV organisers and event planners have taken a number of actions
such as serving food and drinks at the event using only biodegradable packaging. This has meant that negative impacts on the environment such
as waste are minimised, and therefore positive environmental impacts from the event are identified.
Reasons why actions taken to limit the negative impact on the environment are so significant are that with these actions continuing to take place,
the environment of the Waiohika Estate will remain healthy and unharmed, meaning the continuation of Rhythm and Vines festivals in the same
place due to the interest to aid the environment to be sustainable.