Tauranga City Council will today consider new policy and funding approaches for events in the city.
The city event funding review follows a meeting last year where councillors were educated about the benefits of funding events in the city and how it can take a more pro-active approach.
The alcohol-free Summerfest lost out on council funding last year.
The city's current event funding regime has remained at $200,000 a year for the last 10 years and managed in a three tier system where the most funds are allocated to ‘flagship' events.
The proposal today will look at increasing the event budget by $382,000 and open the process to joint venture arrangements with promoters, investors and other parties by establishing an external board with council representatives including the Mayor and CEO.
Another issue on the agenda at this morning's 9am council meeting is the city's stormwater management.
Stormwater currently has an annual budget of $5.28 million loan funded, with the expected addition this year of another $5 million raised by rates levy.
No decisions have been made yet about where the money from the levy is to be spent, apart from the modelling process underway, which is expected to provide the basis for further decision making.
Until now the council approach has been to fix immediate flooding problems, rather than taking a more strategic approach.
After the 2005 floods council spent $20 million a year on stormwater works before reducing the budget to the current $5.28 million in 2009. The result was works included in the original programme were set back – and then there was more flooding in April 2013.
8 comments
What events?
Posted on 03-02-2014 13:44 | By surfgirl_4573
So they should, all the events are disappearing. First blues brews and barbecues which was a great annual event. Then Summerfest after only 2 years and the Mount New Years has become another buy an expensive ticket to a commercial festival. This city seems to be on a backward slide with nothing to offer residents, not even Rugby.
Please no!
Posted on 03-02-2014 14:11 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Council more pro-active in entrtainment events! - AAaarrggghh - please no!
Gate Pa Celebrations
Posted on 03-02-2014 15:43 | By Jitter
No finance should have been given by TCC to this as the organisers (local iwi) have received millions of dollars by way of Waitangi settlement.It looks as though TCC are going to hand that Gate Pa land over to local iwi also. When is it going to end ?
catogorically no!!!
Posted on 03-02-2014 16:19 | By Sambo Returns
a in-active approach is the answer, stick to your core responsibilities, and deliver decent infrastructure, any event Council has been involved in has ended up costing ratepayers money, if an event is to be held, let it be done by a commercial operator, if they are good enough they will make a dollar, so NO ratepayer money to be put towards something Council knows nothing about, mind you that would leave nothing for them to do!!!!.
And the new Councillors side (again) with Mayor ..
Posted on 03-02-2014 16:37 | By Murray.Guy
And the new Councillors side (again) with Mayor ..and double what will be in effect, a Mayor and staff slush fund'. And that's will be just the beginning! Anybody that says our region doesn't have enough events, that taking money of ratepayers to subsidize commercial events is an acceptable use of rates, is clearly living in a cave or has a vested interest. The new Councillor grouping that, for the most part, promised fiscal responsibility, back to basics and we're experts so no consultants needed, clearly misled the community as all we are seeing are rates hikes and spend, spend, spend (on all the wrong stuff).
OH Boy!!!
Posted on 03-02-2014 22:03 | By Dippie
Here we go again. Murray is it not time that you retire instead of always being negative???? Tauranga I know as the cheap skate town lets try and change it. You are not the only one living here there is people that want events etc.....
Debt caused by council interference in things they know nothing about
Posted on 05-02-2014 09:24 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Well said Sambo. I think Surfgirl has an over-inflated idea of what councils job description should involve. They are employed to run the CITY - not events. They know nothing about events or entertainment - that should be left up to - er events management companies. Councils all care, no responsibility ethos is a failed method. Coucil involvement should cease at allowing it to happen and bending over backward to make the way as clear of hurdles as possible (providing it is not a hurdles event!). Surfgirl would then have more money in her pocket to spend at events SHE choses due to lower rates, and less DEBT - which are both created by council involvement in things they know nothing about.
at Dippie
Posted on 05-02-2014 14:52 | By The Tomahawk Kid
Yes Dippie - there are people here that want events. There are also people who want a 50 inch Television too. Should the council provide us with one of those also? It should not be the councils job to provide us with entertainment, and it is BECAUSE they insist on doing so that a large percentage of people are sick of them doing so inefficiently. Council have no qualifications and no responsibility to make them successful as opposed to private entertainment professionals who do it better and more efficiently because their livelihood is a stake. Murray is not being negative - he is pointing out that Council are irresponsible with ratepayers money - and he is right.
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