FALLS Festival founder Simon Daly yesterday hit back at critics of his request for government help, saying funding for existing events could be allocated more fairly.
“Looking at the numbers across government, you would hope there would be more consideration of the arts sector, which has an equal contribution to the state as sport,” Mr Daly said.
“If we thought the $350,000 per year we’re asking for was going to come out of hospital or school funding, we’d walk away from the request.”
A request last year for $150,000 a year over three years to cover interstate marketing and artist cost increases for the Marion Bay event was rejected by the State Government.
Mr Daly said that although Falls Marion Bay tickets were nearly $100 cheaper than the Lorne event, he couldn’t increase prices enough because it could drive away the interstate visitors it depends on. He pointed to similar events such as Queensland’s Splendour in the Grass where a camping ticket is $510 for three days, and the Byron Bay Blues and Roots Festival charges $520.
“If the festival was held in another state the ticket price would be sitting at about $350, but with flight costs most interstate visitors would not come down for that,” he said.
Mr Daly also said 2000 people worked at the site with only about 200 of them volunteers.
And he said the festival’s core organising group of 10 – half full-time and the other half working six months each year – shared just $250,000 between them in wages.
He said that artist fees cost about $1.3 million before expenses, including about 80 international flights.
EVENTS TASMANIA FUNDING (Event, 2011, 2012):
Burnie Tennis Challenger $45,000 and $45,000
Hobart Comedy Festival $160,000 and $40,000
Tas Dancesport Championship $20,000 and $20,000
Devonport Triathlon $25,000 and $25,000
Moorilla Hobart International $35,000 and $35,000
Tasmania Cycling Challenge $25,000 (2012 only)
Tour of Tasmania $45,000 and $45,000
Wildside MTB $50,000 (2012 only)
Australian Wooden Boat Festival $650,000 (Biennial event)
Festival of Voices $310,000 and $350,000
MONA FOMA $350,000 and $350,000
Targa, Targa Wrest Point, $365,000 and $365,000
V8 Supercars $500,000 and $550,000
Falls Festival $96,450 (No funding 2012)
Meanwhile, Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief economist Mark Bowles backed the Government’s reluctance to find new funds for the festival, saying money for events needed to be looked at in terms of direct benefit not flow-on effects.
Leonard Colquhoun: After a long search, I found this jpg from The Examiner which I had sent to TT in May 2009:
