Council cuts Eisteddfod funding

Members of the WA Performing Arts Eisteddfod say they are bemused at the Bunbury City Council's decision to cut annual funding to its iconic event.

They also claim the council is blind to how the eisteddfod benefits Bunbury and the lack of support is disappointing.

As part of a series of Budget changes made by the council last week, the committee will no longer receive an annual $40,000 cash donation.

Instead, the council will refer any funding applications from the committee to its Events Grants Funding.

But president Myra Easton said the committee applied for funding through the council's application process every year and she was confused why its funding was even on the chopping board.

Mrs Easton presented a deputation to the council last week before the decision was handed down, but says the presentation "fell on deaf ears" and the committee was not properly informed about what changes were being made.

"We were under the impression the deputation was to lobby for us to be recognised as an iconic event," Mrs Easton said.

"When we got there we discovered they were actually talking about our funding.

"It was completely unclear what they were actually voting on."

The council has $100,000 in the 2015-16 Budget earmarked for an iconic event yet to be identified in Bunbury.

Mrs Easton said the eisteddfod should be considered as one such iconic event.

"We're not asking for handouts, we're asking for something that benefits the whole community," she said.

"We are not a choir, we're not an event that happens over a weekend, we're over a month and we bring a lot of people to Bunbury."

Mrs Easton said she would "fight with my last dying breath" for this year's eisteddfod to go ahead.