$446,000 granted to events

Almost half a million dollars in funding has been allocated to 23 major events by the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

The council approved $446,000 of grants and in-kind support this week, which includes funding for three new events, The Pioneer mountain bike race ($40,000); Luma, the Southern Lights Project ($17,400); and the Arrowtown Spring Arts Festival ($5400).

The 2016 New Zealand Golf Open received $80,000 towards the cost of the tournament, running from March 10 to 13 at The Hills and Millbrook Resort; while next year's Queenstown Winter Festival received a $60,000 grant.

Warbirds Over Wanaka has been given $40,000 in funding, as has The Pioneer race and the Queenstown International Marathon.

Challenge Wanaka received a $29,000 grant, and the 2016 New Zealand Rural Games was given $20,000 for its second event, to be held in February in Queenstown.

A grant of $10,200 went to Aspiring Conversations. Five events received $10,000 in funding: the 2015 Queenstown JazzFest; the Gibbston Wine and Food Festival; Gay Ski Week QT; the Queenstown Bike Festival; and September's Thriller in the Chiller charity boxing event in Queenstown.

Other grant recipients are: Motatapu ($12,000); Arrowtown Autumn Festival ($9000); Red Bull Defiance ($8000); Merino Muster ($7100); Wanakafest/Light Up Wanaka ($6500); Spring Challenge ($5250); Tri Series Wanaka ($5000); Snow Sports NZ ($1100).

Early approval had been given to three events: the Winter Games New Zealand 2015 ($100,000); the Vintage Rugby Carnival Queenstown ($12,720); and the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival ($10,680).

Subject to confirming next year's budgets, the council also signalled early approval of $7000 for next year's New Zealand Mountain Film and Book Festival.

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Vanessa van Uden said the support reflected the priorities in the council's events strategy, designed to support community and commercial events which met criteria ranging from economic benefit and increasing the district's profile, to bringing the community together.

Ms van Uden said the strategic goal was to provide assistance while events were in development, so they ultimately became self-sustaining.

The next funding round would be in April.

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