Sunshine Coast Council to review funding agreement for Caloundra Music Festival

A Sunshine Coast councillor questioned why ratepayers continued to foot the bill for a music festival that had not made a profit in more than a decade.

Tensions were high as a councillor questioned why ratepayers continued to foot the bill for a music festival that has run at a loss for 13 years.

Sunshine Coast Councillor Maria Suarez called for a “robust” review into Caloundra Music Festival to determine its financial position and how beneficial it was to the entire region.

Several other councillors including Terry Landsberg, Jason O’Pray and Rick Baberowski fired back and defended the event’s economic and cultural benefits.

Ms Suarez said a report from 2019 showed the festival had never made a profit and despite council’s ambitions to improve its bottom line “the opposite is occurring”.

“I’m not trying to kill the Caloundra Music Festival I’m just trying to get a more transparent understanding of how it’s operating and if that’s the correct model,” she said.

Maria Suarez is the new Division 9 councillor. Picture: John McCutcheon

She said she wanted the review scheduled for early 2022 to consider its full financial position and be presented to the public.

Mr Landsberg, who represents Caloundra, raised concern with Ms Suarez’s questions and asked if she understood the true benefit of the event.

Deputy mayor Mr Baberowski welcomed Ms Suarez’s “interrogation” of the festival but said they should not forget about the strong reputation it had.

“I think if you remind yourself why we’re in that space, the social and cultural outcomes, that’s what we should really focus on,” he said.

“Articulating those are difficult but it doesn’t mean they’re less valuable.”

Hot Potato live at the Caloundra Music Festival 2019. Picture: John McCutcheon

The event will be reviewed early next year when the council’s current funding arrangement expires.

The debate arose during a vote at this month’s ordinary meeting during a discussion on which events the National Competition Policy should apply to.

Officers recommended that council-funded Caloundra Music Festival and Horizons should not be subject to the policy.

They said if they were the festivals would be subject to pricing provisions and financial reporting.

They said this would increase ticket pricing and make it less accessible for people of all ages to attend.

Councillors voted not to apply the Code of Competitive Conduct to festivals’ and off-street parking business activity.

Ms Suarez and councillor David Law voted against the motion.