Geoff Bell was not directly asking the council for a top up on Blues Festival funding.
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But if it decided to stump up some money, “you wouldn’t get an argument from me,” he told councillors at their recent meeting.
The event’s organiser laid bare the challenges of running the festival “on the smell of an oily rag.”
The February fixture receives $50,000 annually from the council under a five-year contract. Each year it returns just a modest profit ($1120 in 2017).
“We are struggling with money to keep things going,” Mr Bell said.
“Costs are going up and we have to find a way to become creative.”
He asked for access to Tourism events staff to discuss funding possibilities. Mr Bell has previously spoken of the difficulties in securing grants and sponsorship for the festival.
General manager Warwick Bennett said this would happen.
Cr Margaret O’Neill was keen to help.
“(The) council has put a lot into the Blues Festival over the years. It’s a part of Goulburn and if we can help you, we will,” she said.
Mayor Bob Kirk was more circumspect after the meeting. He said as Mr Bell had not specifically asked for more council funding, it hadn’t considered the matter.
“(But) discussions will happen and our people will work in conjunction with him,” he said.
“The council still supports the Blues Festival, there’s no question about that. There are still a few years to run on the contract and if we can justify outlaying more money, we’ll consider that, but it’s up to him (Mr Bell) to make a request.”
Value for money?
Councillors have baulked at a $42,393 membership renewal fee for Local Government NSW.
Instead, they will ask its president, Keith Rhoades to hear their concerns about the advocacy body’s effectiveness.
LGNSW also provides research, investigation and industrial relations services and hosts annual conferences. But Goulburn Mulwaree general manager Warwick Bennett said the council had “minimal contact” with the organisation over the past three years.
“It is not considered that (we) are receiving value for money from (our) membership,” he reported.
The fee increase from $39,686 added oil to the fire.
“I believe it is unfortunate that at a time when councils like Goulburn Mulwaree are having to live within their means of a 1.5pc rate cap, its peak body introduces a 6.81pc increase,” he wrote.
Mr Bennett argued that the council was reaping more value from its membership of the Canberra Region Joint Organisation of Councils (CBRJO), costing $23,160 annually.
Legislation is expected to be placed before State Parliament in the next month making council membership of Joint Organisations mandatory.
Furthermore, Mr Bennett believed the industrial advice LGNSW provided could be sourced elsewhere.
But councillors will give the peak body one more chance. At their meeting on Tuesday they decided to invite Mr Rhoades to a closed briefing session to address their concerns.
A preceding letter will spell out the council’s issues with the increase and call for an improvement in LGNSW’ relationship with the state government. The letter will also be sent to other councils within CBRJO.
A decision on membership was deferred until after the presentation.
“If a CEO is worth any salt, they can jump in the car, come down and explain the benefits,” Cr Peter Walker said.
Special meeting
An extraordinary council meeting will be held on Tuesday night to discuss a development opportunity for Goulburn.
Councillors held preliminary talks in a closed session last Tuesday on the basis of commercially sensitive information.
After a 20-minute discussion they decided to hold an extraordinary meeting and “request consultants reporting directly to the Premier on regional development opportunities to attend.”
Tuesday’s gathering will also be recommended for closed session on the same basis.