News Alert |

Three City of Ballarat Tourism Events Grant funding applications will be considered at the November 21 Council Meeting. 

Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields, the Ballarat & District Trotting Club and the Ballarat Beer Festival have all applied for event funding under the grants, which ensure recipients deliver quality programs, events, products and services with a wide range of social, environmental and economic benefits. 

Recommendations to council are: 

An Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields funding application for $20,000 be declined and instead $15,000 provided, along with in-kind support, as part of the Ballarat Live Music Strategy implementation;  A $20,000 Ballarat and District Trotting Club request to host the Inter Dominion Heat 2 be reduced to $5000; and  A $15,000 2019 Ballarat Beer Festival request be reduced to $11,250 

The 2019 Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields is planned for between Friday 11 January and Sunday 20 January and will have a projected economic impact of $334,800, with Council sponsoring the event for over 10 years. 

However, it is recommended this established event can now be funded as part of the broader Creative City Strategy, currently out for consultation, and the Ballarat Live Music Strategy. 

This option will also allow the Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields board to find alternate funding streams, implement new business models, governance structure and price, and create a long-term sustainability plan. 

It is recommended the Ballarat and District Trotting Club’s $20,000 application to help it host an Inter Dominion heat on Tuesday 4 December be reduced to $5000 on the basis it will not be ongoing event, as the Inter Dominion moves locations and states each year so will not bring continual economic and social benefits to the region as per the grants' criteria.

It has also been recommended to give the Ballarat Beer Festival $11,250 as it supports Ballarat in becoming a regional craft beer leader. 

To enable continued growth, organisers will introduce Pyrenees winemakers on Saturday 19 January 2019 to transition to a two-day craft beer, wine and food festival by 2020. 

However, in recommending the slightly reduced funding amount, it is also recognised the event suffered operational challenges earlier this year and needs to become self-sustainable.