Queenstown needs to decide if it wants to attract new events, or simply be known as an events-friendly destination and let others take the initiative for bringing new events to the Wakatipu, while the council supported struggling local events, the community services committee was told on Tuesday.
"These are the decisions you need to make," QLDC chief executive officer Duncan Field told the committee members at their monthly meeting where arts and events facilitator Jan Maxwell presented the Draft Arts and Events Strategy for public consultation.
The draft strategy, aimed at clarifying the council's role in events and support for community initiatives, outlined eligibility for a $50,000 contestable funds programme.
The council directly funded several events each year, including the Arrowtown Autumn Festival ($2500 event banners), Queenstown Winter Festival ($5625 for waste management), Wanaka mountain film festival, ($2300), Festival of Colour ($11,500 sponsorship and $11,500 power supply), and paid for costs associated with Crystal Place in Wanaka.
While the size of the proposed fund was discussed, councillor John Mann said it was up to the ratepayers to decide how much they wanted to spend on events and include it in their response to the strategy.
"This document is the method to administer it," he said.
Discussion centred on whether or not QLDC wanted to be more proactive in attracting national events, which raised the town's profile, such as the New Zealand Golf Open, or whether it should simply focus on events for the local community.
Cr Vanessa van Uden said: "I think it has to be a bigger bucket [of money], not just events and making people feel good, but also bringing more people here.
"Sooner or later, somebody is going to come along and take away our iconic events. We'll be sitting on our hands and they will be whipped away from us.
"Do we want to lose events we have now, such as the New Zealand Open? It could be run anywhere. Someone who has No 1 [on Mr Field's list to attract new events to their district] could steal that off us."
If the council funded an event, people needed to decide what they wanted from it, she added.
"What do we want it to do? What is it giving back to this community from that funding?"
After some discussion, Cr Cath Gilmour asked that the policies and objectives be clarified in line with a strategy document, instead of reading as funding policy document and, after Mr Field's comments, the committee voted to put it out for public comment, subject to final approval by the event strategy subcommittee and chief executive.
QLDC Draft Events Strategy
• Purpose: To clarify QLDC's role in events and identify strategies for the council to encourage, support and deliver events in the community.
• Key points for consideration:
- The council's role in events.
- Maintenance and development of events by QLDC.
- Leadership and support of events.
- Delivery of the community's needs.
- Establishment of an events partnership programme, with sponsorship categories from 1 (sponsorship up to $50,000) to 4 (up to $25,000).
The proposed events partnership programme excludes individuals, private functions, lunches or dinners, conferences, events that do not have sufficient time to deliver the full range of benefit to the district and political organisations and events.
• Timeline: November 8, 2008: Posted on QLDC website.
December 19, 2008: Closing date for public feedback.
February 3, 2009: Final form of events strategy presented to the community services committee for approval.
