Supply issues force another postponement of Darwin’s Mini GleNTi

Difficulties with sourcing supplies interstate have led to the postponement of Darwin’s Mini GleNTi just over a week before it was due to take place.

The president of the Greek Orthodox Community of North Australia, Nick Poniris said the event would revert back to its regular home on the Esplanade in Darwin. It was thought that the organisers favoured the rescheduling of the event to August.

Mr Poniris said the event which was to have been held at the Greek Orthodox School in Rapid Creek had to be postponed due to “circumstances beyond our control” and these were related to supply concerns.

“The festival has been postponed and we’re still finalising with the various parties for a new date in the very near future,” Mr Poniris was reported as saying.

“COVID caused problems nationally and internationally and has caused problems Australia-wide. We’re not immune from any of the issues around the country. Based on information from various local supply chains, as of March this year we were in order and the chains were open and now we’re not,” Mr Poniris said.

“There is no issue around vaccination. The flow-on effects have limited everything Australia-wide, based around what’s been going on.”

He said the shortages which had affected the event’s major supplier, Woolworths, had also affected the Mini GleNTi and it was clear that the event was in trouble on Tuesday this week. The shortages were in food supplies, utensils, generators, toilet and sanitation stations.

“It’s very simple. We’ve all had to adapt our lifestyles and working models over the past three years to suit circumstances and I think it’s an ever-evolving circumstance we have to deal with,” said Mr Poniris who acknowledged the disruption caused to interstate visitors who had booked tickets for the Mini GleNTi.

The Stelios Dionisiou concert which was to have been held at the GO School in Rapid Creek would now take place at Discovery Darwin on 12 June.

The Mini GleNTi was announced in April after the three-day GleNTi festival was cancelled after it too was bedevilled by supply issues.

Mr Poniris said at the time that the cancellation of the main event was made “protect the GleNTi brand.”

Neoskosmos.com