Funding has been cut for Auckland's Santa parade. Photo / Michael Craig
Funding has been cut for Auckland's Santa parade. Photo / Michael Craig
The Auckland Council may reinstate ratepayer funding tomorrow for the annual Farmers Santa Parade along Queen St.
Last November, the council body Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (Ateed) withdrew funding for the parade from this year.
At the time an Ateed spokesman said the parade no longer fitted a new 2018-2025 major events strategy - designed to grow tourism and the local economy in a sustainable way.
"This is based on the fact that [the parade] is not a big driver of domestic tourism into Auckland,'' the spokesman said.
He said the parade was unlike other events - such as the Diwali and Chinese Lantern Festivals - which have activities that run over a week.
After Ateed pulled funding, Gull New Zealand and retail giant The Warehouse confirmed they will be pitching in to keep the Farmers Santa Parade around.
In light of Ateed's decision, the council's community development and safety committee will tomorrow receive a verbal update from officers on options for financially supporting the much loved event, which attracts thousands of families each year.
Auckland Children's Christmas Parade Trust chairman Michael Barnett today expressed frustration at Ateed's decision, but said most ratepayers would continue to support the event that has been running for 85 years.
Ateed had provided $45,000 to the parade, Barnett said.
"They say it is a community event and yet they will continue to fund other community events like Auckland Diwali Festival ($93,000 last year), Auckland Lantern Festival ($250,000 last year) and Pasifika ($350,000 last year)," Barnett said.
Ateed also helped deliver the community events, above, which imposed extra costs, he said.
Barnett said the trust has generous support from Farmers as the naming sponsor and other Auckland businesses, but the support from Ateed on behalf of council, had helped with the quality of the events and balance the budget.
Auckland Ratepayers Alliance said Ateed's decision to pull funding for the Santa Parade while continuing to give ratepayer money to professional sports events shows just how out of whack the agency's priorities are.
"This decision is so baffling we can only wonder whether they're deliberately choosing the one event so loved by such a number and range of Aucklanders as a way to try and justify ever more funding," said spokeswoman Jo Holems.
Family First NZ called Ateed's decision scroogey and a politically correct hijack of one of the city's most iconic annual events.
"Despite being a major event which has attracted hundreds of thousands of children for years, and which should automatically qualify it for funding consideration, the agency is thumbing their nose at this family event in favour of other cultural-based events such as the Chinese Lantern Festival, Diwali and the Pride Parade," said national director Bob McCoskrie.
