The feedback to council’s plan to get businesses to pay more for major local events falls into three camps, general manager Paul Bennett says.
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The GM is tasked with investigating the ways and means mayor Col Murray’s push to charge businesses for the benefit brought in from locally hosted festivals and events.
Mr Bennett expects the report to land some time in the first quarter of next year.
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“Obviously, you get the reaction, this is just a money-grab,” Mr Bennett told The Leader.
Which he counters saying any money raised would go back into funding local events.
“Others were saying it needs to be fair, so we recognise all businesses or, certainly, the vast majority of businesses that benefit from these sorts of activities,” he said.
“You’ve got some other people out there saying about time, it’s about time mums-and-dads stopped having to pay for businesses to make bigger profits by bringing these events to town, it’s an inconvenience for us.”
The council boss said it was great Cr Murray’s mayoral minute had “already started a conversation in the community” and he would look at a “whole range of options” to grow the event sector.
“People think the council make a lot of money out of the country music festival,” he said.
“Well, I can tell you the festival it does actually cost our community about $600,000 a year in subsidy to actually hold that festival.
“But it brings about $50 million worth of economic activity into the city, that’s fabulous for all sorts of businesses.”
The GM said the mayor was pointing out “ways we can continue to grow that sector”.
“This is about making sure the people who benefit from activity, are also the people that pay for the activity,” he said.
Mr Bennett plans to have his report back to council by March so it can be considered as part of the budget process before June, next year.