By 3 News online staff
The Auckland Council is cracking down on Christmas Parades, enforcing rules that ban lolly scrambles and water pistols.
The health and safety rules also mean kids under the age of five cannot ride on floats and gymnasts cannot do cartwheels in areas where animals may have left droppings.
The Council's events manager David Burt says the lolly scramble ban aims to stop kids running in front of moving floats to pick up lollies.
He says a speed restriction on the floats is not enough to reduce the risk of children being run over when they pick up sweets.
Mr Burt says “clowns and pixies” will still walk alongside the floats and hand out lollies to the kids but if they want a a lolly scramble, the floats must stop.
Not everyone is supportive of the stricter rules.
Dale Wallace, who organises the Kumeu Santa Parade, says kids are the heart of the parade - both as participants and spectators.
She says lolly scrambles are the highlight for many kids and now her clowns have to be careful just handing them out.
The age-restriction on the floats has also distressed Ms Wallace, who says it will have implications on the nativity scene float – especially the role of baby Jesus.
3 News
source: newshub archive
