The 2011 Australasian South Pacific Pipe Band Championships, to be held in Timaru next weekend, have been abandoned due to the devastating Christchurch Earthquake on Tuesday. “It has become increasingly clear on this occasion that to go ahead with this contest in Timaru next weekend could detrimentally impact others outside of the pipe band community”, Iain Blakely, President of the RNZPBA said in a statement

“The best information available to the RNZPBA is that the number of displaced people leaving Christchurch is increasing daily and is expected to rise even further over coming weeks. Already some of those people have had difficulties finding places to go as demand for commercial accommodation in areas around Christchurch grows.

There is more than a remote risk that 1500 or so pipe bands’ men and women arriving in Timaru could divert resources away from people who are more in need.

Countless hours of hard work and emotional energy go into preparing for every national pipe band contest. The decision to cancel can’t be and has not been made lightly. In the end though, as disappointing as this decision will be for bands, this is as exceptional a set of circumstances as it is possible to imagine.”

Reaction to the news has been mixed, with some vocal leaders in the community commenting on the difficult nature of the situation. “The deliberations and advice received must have been enormous and the decision is not without its implications. This includes the bands who may loose deposits on travel and accommodation and to the people of Timaru who loose [sic] the contest and the local buisneses who loose out on the 5000 odd people in their area” said one centre President.

“The implications of this event are far reaching and mostly unrecognised in the public eye or unreported. This includes things such as the need to relocate 400+ elderly rest home residents whose rest homes (aka their home) have been assessed as structurally unstable. These people, elderly, frail, suffering from diseases such as dementia, have been put on planes and buses and relocated, for who knows how long. Some have made bus journeys, in the dead of night, from Christchurch to Dunedin. For those bandies who have done that trip you know how long that is”

One competitor noted “By Monday, of necessity, many people will have to return to work (most people don’t work in the CBD and large swathes of Christchurch’s industrial areas are only lightly affected).All the businesses around me shared the same opinion at the time of the quake: “Thats it. I’ve had enough and I’m out of here”. However the reality is that life goes on and everyone needs to make a living, businesses have to survive.”

“As an example: the building next door to the Caledonian Hall has been red stickered and all ready many of the staff there have been redistributed to Wellington or Waimakariri. The same will be happening all over the city. In spite of the destruction and loss of life, a form of normality will return to the city fairly quickly and people will get on with their lives.”

“I might be completely wrong but places like Timaru may begin to empty out in the coming week and canceling the contest may do no-one any favours. But then again I am a Cantabrian and wouldn’t mind a few days on solid ground myself.”

The full text of the release can be found here