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Falls Festival Marion Bayunder threat

Tue 3rd Jan, 2012 in Local News

Falls Festival Marion Bay is under threat due to a lack of government funding, according to The Age.

Since launching the sister event to Victoria’s Falls Festival in 2003, Promoter Simon Day says that the Tasmanian government has contributed only $900,000 to the festival despite it injecting $150 million into the state’s economy through tourism.

According to reports Falls requires $350,000 to ensure its survival next year and Day told the Hobart Mercury newspaper that: “If we don’t get the funding, I think it would be very difficult to stage the Falls Festival in Tasmania in 2012.”

When asked for comment on the situation, Tasmanian Tourism minister Scott Bacon said: “We’ve committed with the Falls organisers to working through Events Tasmania to see if there’s any efficiencies or cost-savings that can be found to keep the Falls Festival in Tasmania.”

You can read FasterLouder’s review of Day One at Falls Festival in Lorne, Victoria here – with more photos and reviews to come.

Falls Festival (Marion Bay)

December 31st, 2010

Marion Bay, Tasmania, 12

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Phen

Phen said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

Dont really think its the government's role to subsidise his festival - especially if most of that "tourism" is money spent within the festival gates.....

crob

crob said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

I would like to think the Tasmanian government would be smart enough to come up with the cash%u2026 otherwise I can imagine a sister festival will pop up elsewhere with in yr or 2

mattymac

mattymac said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

sure the cash flow is concentrated within the festival itself, but me and my friends (and i suspect many others) took the time to check out tassie for a few days either side, and spent the cash to do it. it's fairly out of the way, i'm not going all the way down there for just a few days over the summer holidays for a festival - i'm going to spend the time to do it all properly. i think whilst it's not the government's sole responsibility to keep it afloat it should absolutely come to the party, it's a major event in a relatively small place.

QueenNahs

QueenNahs said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

With the current cuts to Health, Education and Police, I don't hold much hope for the Falls organisors getting much from Tas Gov's budget...

spintheblackcircle

spintheblackcircle said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

I don't see how it's plausible that the Tasmanian tax payers should be expected to keep a music festival afloat. Does the Victorian government subsidise the Lorne festival? I expect not.

I know its a costly venture having the two festivals running simultaneously, maybe its time that the Daly's became a little more professional to ensure the venture is more cost effective. I know they have history of wasting money on the event and it looks like that is coming back to bite them now.

Braveheart81

Braveheart81 said on the 3rd Jan, 2012

Governments put money towards entertainment events such as music festivals because they provide economic activity. It is irrelevant that most of the money is spent in the festival grounds. Locals are being employed at the festival.

People spend money getting there (within the state) and some will travel elsewhere within the state and spend money.

It also provides exposure for the state. Major events such as music festivals are precisely the sort of thing which bring in tourists not only for the specific event but for return visits.

Getting tourists to spend money at local businesses is really only a small part of why a state government would provide some funding for a major event.

Jestarrr

Jestarrr said on the 4th Jan, 2012

I travelled to Marion from Vic for Falls this year. Me and my mate spent a considerable amount on airports, hotels, taxi's, tourism attractions (cascade/mona/hobart taste festival). I'm certain Falls would raise a phenomenal amount for the Tasmanian economy.

QueenNahs

QueenNahs said on the 4th Jan, 2012

I agree with the economic / development reasons why the Gov should support the Arts as much as they do sport over here. I'm a case in point as Falls was the catalyst for me first visiting, then returning, then returning again for good, bringing my job & skills (& therefore er hmm, "economic stimulus") with me. The request for funding is going to cause a bit of a ruckus down here purely because the State's budget is well and truly rooted.

Stugalug

Stugalug said on the 6th Jan, 2012

having working down at marion bay for the past three years, the percentage of punters traveling over from the mainland is increasing every year. the official line to us at the staff induction was that 7000 of the 16000 were from interstate, and after asking everyone i dealt with coming into the festival, around 50% feels right. most of these punters spend at least an extra 2-3 days in tas with most hitting up the taste food and wine festival in salamanca, personally i was down there for 10 days in total.

kanooksta said on the 6th Jan, 2012

hey ed...his name is simon daly not day...it costs millions to put on a festival of that size and the huge amounts you rake in might only just cover the costs. it's a huge risk every year and if you don't get your quota of punters you stand to lose a lot of money, and the falls is no different. they get good acts, they commit funds to environmental protection in the surrounding areas, they bring a lot of interstate travellers to tas and the transport companies and food providers hike all their prices accordingly. the one thing i've noticed about tassie falls is that a fair few of the locals complain about mainlanders coming to the island to set up a festival and do what they can to bring it down but then happily take the work and the dollars that come along with it. makes me wonder...