Event funding revealed

Photo: Mitch Wolters
The Luma Southern Lights Project is one of the biggest recipients of QLDC events funding. Photo: Mitch Wolters
The NZ Golf Open, Winter Games and Luma Southern Lights Project are the biggest recipients of Queenstown Lakes District Council events funding over the next year - but they, along with the Queenstown Winter Festival, have all taken funding hits.

A total of 20 applications were received. Twelve were approved by a panel, comprising councillors Scott Stevens, Craig Ferguson, John MacDonald and Quentin Smith, and six more were considered in a public-excluded session of a full council meeting on June 28.

Applications for up to $30,000 are considered by the panel, while applications for larger amounts are assessed by the full council.

The council has approved $820,000 of grants for events proposed over the next year.

The NZ Open, which will mark its centenary next year, next month’s Winter Games and Luma 2019  received $90,000 each.

Luma charitable trust chairman Duncan Forsyth could not be contacted for comment.

Last year the Open received $120,000, and Luma and Winter Games each received $100,000  — the latter was a combination of $59,000 approved last year and $41,000 approved in the 2016-17 funding round.

Queenstown Winter Festival, which turns 45 next year, received $50,000, down from $75,000 approved last year.

When contacted for comment, Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said:  "We’re very grateful for the support for Winter Festival."

Meanwhile, some events have received funding boosts. They include Challenge Wanaka, which will receive $35,000, up from $18,000 last year, and the Arrowtown Autumn Festival up from $12,000 in 2017, to $16,000.

Three Ironman-owned events — the Queenstown Marathon, Motatapu and Pioneer mountainbike race would each receive $10,000 in funding.Last year, the marathon received $20,000, and Motatapu $10,000. The Pioneer was not a funding recipient.

Cr Stevens said the panel needed to find a balance between sporting and cultural events for the district, and events needed to bring "the best possible economic benefit and make good use of the district’s venues and locations".

Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult said he was delighted the events proposed would continue to raise the district’s event profile. Other events to receive funding: Festival of Colour ($25,000); Winter Pride ($25,000); Wheels in Wanaka ($20,000); Cavalcade Hawea ($15,000); NZ Mountain Film & Book Festival ($10,000); River Boarding World Championships ($10,000); Michael Hill International Violin Competition ($9000).

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