Taste call to be applauded

JUST a week ago, Hobart’s biggest summer event, the Taste of Tasmania, looked like it had become another victim of the coronavirus pandemic which has devastated lives and businesses across the globe. A report prepared for the Hobart City Council had recommended the popular eight-day festival, which runs over the Christmas-new Year season, should be cancelled this year.

It is easy to see why the report’s authors were pushing for such a decision. With such an influx of people congregating in close proximity, and uncertainty over whether or not social distancing rules would still apply, there remained a big risk that the festival in its usual form would be banned.

If acts and stallholders were cancelled at the last minute, the costs to council would be significant.

On the subject of cost, the Hobart City Council has already been badly hit by the pandemic. With support measures for ratepayers and loss of revenue from such things as parking and the aquatic centre closure, Town Hall is facing a $17 million hole in its budget.

It spends about $1 million running the Taste festival each year, and that is money it just does not now have. Faced with such facts, the responsible thing to do was to cancel this year’s event. The vote at Monday’s Hobart City Council meeting adopting the recommendation appeared certain.

WITH MORALE LOW AND MANY OF US STRUGGLING WITH COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, WE ALSO NEED SOME THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Enter the Premier Peter Gutwein. As he has done throughout the coronavirus crisis, he calmly stepped in and added his voice to the debate. He urged the Hobart City Council to reconsider; to hold off making a call on cancelling the event.

The council heeded the advice, which was also backed by tourism and food industry leaders, and rightly voted to maintain the celebrated festival — albeit in a modified form.

It unanimously backed a plan to commit a reduced amount of $300,000 for a “Taste-style” event.

This week the Premier and the council began talks to work out what that event might look like.

It’s a great outcome, and all involved should be applauded for the decision.

Our readers agree. A Mercury online poll of more than 900 people backed the move to keep the Taste festival, with 58 per cent support.

While we all must take care to make the right and difficult calls in such troubled times, it is important not to completely destroy what makes Hobart and Tasmania such a great place to live.

The Taste of Tasmania attracts as many as 250,000 people over eight days. It is a celebration of Tasmanian produce and a fantastic opportunity for small Tasmanian food and drink businesses to not only sell their produce, but show their wares to all.

For many, it is also a time to catch up with family and friends and be proud of our great little state.

With morale low and many of us struggling with COVID-19 restrictions, we also need some things to look forward to.

Meeting friends at the Taste of Tasmania on a sunny summer’s day with good food and a glass of wine or beer is a treat worth dreaming of.

It’s something we can pin our hopes on as we endure a cold, dark lockdown.