Mixed response to new Cooly festival
BUSINESS owners in Coolangatta have had mixed reactions to the SandTunes festival, some fearing a Commonwealth Games repeat and others cheering an expected influx.
Coolangatta’s Komune Resort and Beach Club owner Tony Cannon is one of many looking at the upside, stating he “wants to see it happen”.
The two-day music festival announced last week will be on Coolangatta Beach and tipped to deliver an estimated $11 million economic input and generate 50,000 visitor nights.
Festival promoter Paul Dainty has secured a star line-up for the festival on November 30-December 1 headed by Travis Scott and hopes it evolves into a Glastonbury-type event.
Mr Cannon has put in an application to extend his trading license to make the most of the crowds but he also wants the festival to provide pass-outs to guests so they can leave.
“I want to see it happen. It’s epic what they are trying to do but I’m worried all of the cafes and restaurants will have a really bad weekend then they won’t want it back and it will kill the whole thing,” he said.
“All of the businesses have a lot of Christmas functions and events. It’s a really busy time.
“I’ve been on the Precinct Advisory Group for the past 12 months.
“We consulted about 70 different businesses and came up with about seven or eight recommendations.
“Our issues are it’s a key weekend in December and it’s really critical overall for our venues’ profitability with the town being closed that weekend for the event.
“In Cooly they do so many festivals and most of them are really negative for our businesses. For example, the Commonwealth Games were terrible. They blocked off the whole road and shut out our businesses for two weeks.”
Cafe D’Bar owner Donna Archdeacon agreed and has written to council about her concerns.
She said she questioned where the estimated $11 million in economic benefit would be going.
“Our southern area is for families who like to enjoy our safe and pristine beaches and park spaces which are only one of eight with world surfing reserve status,” Ms Archdeacon said.
“They will shut down our town from Kirra point all the way down to Greenmount beach for days with weeks of interruptions.”
Ms Archdeacon said a pass-out was vital not only for businesses but the festival-goers who would need to escape the sun.
“This is a music festival where alcohol will be sold in the event, with no pass-outs, in the hot summer sun.”