Taste tightens its belt

FUNDING for the Taste of Tasmania has been secured for the next three years but it has been significantly slashed from $1.6 million for the last event.

Last night, the Hobart City Council unanimously endorsed a three-year commitment to the festival with a scaled reduction in funding from $1.1 million to $1 million the following year and $900,000 in the third year.

Council general manager Nick Heath revealed he had received a call from Premier Will Hodgman’s office suggesting some sort of funding would likely be made available but the exact amount would not be known until May when the State Budget is announced.

Councillor Bill Harvey was hopeful the State Government would be generous to a festival that had enormous value to Tasmania.

“This is one of the best festivals in the country,” Cr Harvey said. “The past two years have been excellent and, looking forward, what we have here is a lot of stability.”

He said the recommendation told sponsors the council was open for business and keen for a long-term relationship.

An amendment for the council to see if anyone wanted to take over the event after next year through an expression of interest process was removed.

The cuts come as an SGS economics and planning report showed the 2018-2019 festival generated $46.9 into the Tasmanian economy, with the bulk of that – $26.8 million – going to Hobart.

But the report also showed only 21 per cent of visitors to the Taste were from Hobart as interstate visitors increased and the festival had become a strong tourist destination.

The council has requested a State Government grant of $250,000 to $500,000 for each year.

Tasmanian Speaker Sue Hickey, a former Hobart lord mayor, said she had spoken with the Premier and Treasurer Peter Gutwein about funds for the Taste because she believed it was a great contributor to the state’s economy.