$7.7m fund to boost city events

Councillor Bev Edlin

Subsidies peaking at nearly $1 million a year will be offered to organisers of major Tauranga events in a bid to boost the city's economy.

The city council yesterday embarked on a new era of events funding, setting itself the short-term goal of growing the number of overnight stays by visitors to 79,000 by 2018.

Event organisers will be able to apply for funding assistance of $500,000 this year, rising in steps to $950,000 by 2021 and remaining at $950,000 for the rest of the council's 10-year plan.

It will lift total funding over the 10 years to $7.7 million, more than double the current figure of $325,000 a year.

Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout said the new funding framework was linked to five key outcomes, including growing the region's gross domestic product, promoting events in the off-season and showcasing Tauranga.

Strategic events manager Pip Loader said major events were a powerful tool to transform how people perceived a destination and make Tauranga a more attractive place to live.

Councillor Bev Edlin said discussions were already taking place that indicated how organisations were recognising the value of the new policy.

Cr Leanne Brown said the policy ticked all the boxes and her only concern was whether $50,000 was enough to help small to medium-sized events. "They will become our big events one day."

Cr Rick Curach said his fear was that the money was there, so it had to be spent. "If no events stack up then it will not be spent."

Mayor Stuart Crosby said there would be a lot more discipline around analysing events than in the past. He said the level of funding could be reviewed after the first two or three years.

Tauranga currently spent $2.80 per head of population on events, far behind the next lowest of the major cities - Christchurch's $7. Auckland was the biggest spender at $17.80 per capita. The plan to boost funding to $950,000 would bring Tauranga to where Dunedin currently sat, at $9.14 per capita.