Bunbury cuts festival support

Bunbury City Council has slashed thousands of dollars in funding for a number of popular events and Mayor Gary Brennan has warned more budget cuts are needed to help with the council’s “financial challenges”.

But an event organiser has questioned whether the council was more interested in the bottom line than promoting cultural events.

The council has cut financial ties with any event it had previously supported except Australia Day and the Christmas Carnival.

The means events such as Shore Lines Writing for Performance Festival, Viva Bunbury Street Fiesta, Bunbury Kidsfest and Carols by Candlelight will not have council backing.

These events will have to work with the Bunbury Events Coordination Committee to fight for a set council budget for events next year.

Mr Brennan said the events needed the support of council staff and this increased costs.

“I just don’t believe local government should be in the business of doing as much as we do, ” Mr Brennan said.

“Our service provision is fairly uncomplicated and the more we get involved in stuff the more you find costs escalate.”

Mr Brennan said the Kidsfest had cost ratepayers between $300,000 and $400,000 “for a two-day event” which attracted 5000 people.

He said the groups could interpret the cuts anyway they liked but it was the council’s responsibility to live within its means.

Shore Lines founder Janice Mason was angered after the council voted to cut support after this year.

The council unanimously voted to slash its funding to $7000 but the event will still go ahead in July.

Ms Mason said the committee was surprised at the decision to cut funding and felt it was based on inflated budget figures.

“I think this decision sends mixed messages, ” she said.

“The council wants events but won’t support them.”

This comes after the council revealed it had improved its budget to a surplus of about $460,000 from internal savings.

Mr Brennan said he was confident this could be further improved to about $1 million.

He also warned the council needed to cut about another $1 million from next year’s budget.

“We have got to build ourselves back up to where we were financially as a strong organisation, ” Mr Brennan said.