Council events fund debated

City events could receive an extra $50,000 from rates - but some ratepayers believe it’s the council buying in to a fad industry.

The Invercargill City Council, in its 2017-18 annual plan, proposes to increase the emerging events fund from $100,000 to $150,000.

The lift would mean an increase in rates for this year of 0.10 per cent, an average increase of $0.04 cents per week on rates - $1.95 per year.

Invercargill resident Louise O’Callaghan’s submission says the events fund should not be increased, and the council should review events funding entirely.

O’Callaghan said the various events should be amalgamated and all spending approved by the full council.

The events industry was in danger of being the current ‘‘fad industry’’, she said.

At the annual plan hearing, O’Callaghan said the $50,000 financial loss of the council’s fireworks display in 2015 ‘‘could be seen a mile away’’.

‘‘Events funding, and the process around approval please needs complete review by full council.’’

Healthy Families Invercargill’s submission says they support the increased funding.

With Sport Southland, they asked that some weight be given to having events which had a health and wellbeing residents.

A submission from Invercargill resident Carl Heenan says he supported the increase, however, the council should look to other community funders to help.

‘‘I would like to see the council’s events committee have community representatives on it also to include far better ratepayer communication.’’

The council needed to attract more international events, he said.

‘‘I would like to see the events fund increased to $250,000.’’

A submission from Invercargill outcome for resident Brian Robert says funding should be increased to help groups and organisations to apply for grants, while the Invercargill Youth Council’s submission says members of the council wanted more ‘‘family events’’ held in the city.

The council has two events funds - the iconic events funding for established city events, and the creation and promotion events fund for unforeseen event opportunities.

Presently the council puts $200,000 in to the event creation and iconic event funds each year - $100,000 each.

The plan proposed a rates increase of 4.7 per cent, meaning for a residential property with a rateable value of $215,000, a rates increase of $86.71 in 2017.

Last year’s rates increased 2.3 per cent.