Council doubles funds for Toowoomba Show

RATEPAYER funding for next year’s Toowoomba Show has been doubled by the council as part of sweeping changes to its grant program for showgrounds and celebration sites.

The budget for the core community support program has been slashed in the coming financial year by $11,000 to $44,000, with five groups being dropped from it completely.

The schedule lets council provide consistent, uncontested funding to show societies and rural sporting groups to help with operations, insurance support and leasing of council-owned facilities.

But councillors voted at committee meetings earlier this month to remove cash funding for the Cambooya Campdraft and Gymkhana Association, the Cecil Plains Recreation Grounds, Millmerran Showgrounds, Oakey Agricultural Pastoral and Rodeo Society and the Pittsworth Showgrounds.

Instead, these groups will receive in-kind support from the council to the value of the previous contributions.

Conversely, the Brymaroo Rodeo, Campdraft Committee and Cooyar Agricultural Society will now be funded under the scheme.

The biggest winner is the Toowoomba Royal Agricultural Society, which will receive $52,000 over the next two years.

In his report to the council, community development principal Darryl Bates wrote that the councillors were consulted over the changes in March.

“The general feedback from this session was that support for all external showgrounds and celebration sites should be

included on the schedule,” he wrote.

“Council will continue to provide support through normal operations of the relevant

functional areas, like services such as grass cutting.

“Maintenance of council assets will continue without change.”