Council approves Huntfest on NATA Oval from 2018

The South Coast Hunters Club has been granted a five-year licence to continue operating their Huntfest event on NATA Oval and in the Sport and Leisure Centre in Narooma over the June long weekend, commencing in 2018.

Eurobodalla councillors voted to grant the licence at today’s Council meeting following an expression of interest process and a competitive tender that started in December.

Council’s events team will work with the second tenderer, the Animal Justice Party NSW, to find an alternative venue and date for their event in Eurobodalla. They are proposing a two-day festival ‘to showcase the region’s growing creative, cultural, healthy lifestyle, recreational and sustainable ventures’.

The NSW Government requires that councils conduct an open and competitive process for issuing licences to conduct activities on Council-managed public reserves. Two expressions of interest were received for the June long weekend for NATA reserve, and as per Council’s Code of Practice, both parties were invited to participate in a selective tender.

The two tenders were assessed against a number of criteria including economic activity, future growth potential, the ability of the event to be sustainable without ongoing external support, and other benefits to the community.

Huntfest has been held at the Narooma Sport and Leisure Centre and NATA Oval on the June long weekend since 2013.

The report covering the granting of the five-year event licence is public and available on the Council’s website. However, the tender details, recommendations, and discussion about them was held in confidential session of Council in accordance with the Tendering Guidelines for NSW Local Government.

The licence is subject to consent from the Minister responsible for the Crown Lands Act.