Sponsors, attendance falling at historic Practically Green Festival
It is one of the largest environmental festivals in Melbourne’s north and has been running since 2007. But this community festival that inspires homeowners to be eco-friendly could now be shut down due to dwindling numbers.
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A Nillumbik festival inspiring homeowners to become eco-friendly could come to an end after 11 years, unless the council can find an “external provider” to help support the struggling event.
Nillumbik Council spent $66,733 to put on the Practically Green Festival last year, and has chipped in more than $600,000 over the past decade to host the event at Edendale Community Farm.
The festival spend accounts for 30 per cent of the council’s annual budget for environmental programs, and takes about 50 days of staff time to organise.
But with yearly attendance dropping to just 3000 in 2018, and only attracting a single sponsorship donation of $500, the festival has come under fire for its high costs.
That cost equated to $20 per head (based on attendance), five times higher than the Panton Hill On the Hill Festival ($4 per head) and more than 10 times the Diamond Creek Town Fair ($1.78).
A council review of the festival stated the event’s cost had increased “over the last few years”.
But it said external investment had decreased, as well as the festival’s impact on the community, with only 2 per cent of festival-goers adapting their homes to become more eco-friendly last year.
Councillor Grant Brooker said the festival played an important role in the community, but needed a “refresh”.
“It does prompt further education into environmental initiatives we can undertake in our everyday lives and that was the real point of the festival,” he said.
“It does need a rebranding and refreshing and hopefully an external provider can provide that.”
The Nillumbik Mudbrick Association, which is a regular exhibitor, is interested.
But secretary Michael Young said it had not made any formal application.
“In this day and age and supposedly being the environmental leaders of local government by being the Green Wedge shire it would be ideal to continue running the festival,” he said.
“I’m sure the council can still make some savings to cost and officer time, but it will hinge a lot on the work of volunteers.”
The free festival in October features a range of sustainable building and lifestyle exhibitors which inform people on ways to be more environmentally conscience, while food and wine groups from across the region display local produce.
Mr Young said the opportunity to display signs promoting the festival on main roads across Nillumbik would help draw more people to the community fair.
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But Cr John Dumaresq said the council needed to “tighten up” on statistics before any drastic decision was made about the festival’s future.
“To hold the Diamond Creek Festival up as things that are measured by with 20,000 people going to it, that means there is no one home at the day when the Diamond Creek Festival is on,” he said.
“I think it’s important going forward we look at ways to tighten up on our statistics, get them right, and let’s concentrate on things that have a significant affect on our shire like the Practically Green Festival.
“There hasn’t been a more important time to be looking at ways to be practically green … the festival offers a lot.”
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