Council to formulate festival sponsorship

Gosford Council will formulate a policy for sponsorship of events and festivals, after agreeing to provide $5000 to sponsor the Oyster Festival for another year.

Cr Jeff Strickson told the council meeting on Tuesday, September 27, that although the Oyster Festival was a worthy organisation "somewhere along the way, enough has got be enough".

"I am fully behind the Oyster Festival," he said.

"I think it's tremendous but there are other worthy organisations that require the money."

Cr Chris Holstein agreed, saying a decision needed to be made because "we stand here every year and argue this point".

"We need a clear definition of where and when sponsorships should go."

Cr Holstein said that Council needed to support other events.

He went through a list of festivals that didn't continue due to a lack of funding, including the Peninsula New Year Fireworks Spectacular.

"It's not the fact that the Oyster Festival is not worthwhile.

"It's a great event, but it's up and running.

"What else are we missing out on?" asked Cr Holstein.

"I think it's time that we look at events that could have really amounted to something."

Cr Peter Freewater disagreed, saying it was not about trying to get events off the ground but getting Council's name into the community as a sponsor.

"Council gets excellent value for money out of this festival.

"I don't know why we're trying to hobble it in any way."

He said the Central Coast had "a very long and proud oyster history" with the first Sydney Rock Oyster farm in Hardys Bay.

"We should be doing everything we possibly can to support this and I really don't understand where this debate is going," he said.

Gosford Council has supported the Brisbane Water Oyster Festival a number of times over the past 10 years including numerous sponsorships of $5000 and a one-off sponsorship of $10,000.

The Festival was established in 2000 by the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Fisherman's Association to promote the Peninsula and local oyster farming.

Gosford Council Agenda COM.20, 27 Sep 2011 Kaitlin Watts, 27 Sep 2011