Government gives $50,000 to food festival

HOBART’S annual Taste of Tasmania festival will this year have cash support from the State Government for the first time in its 28-year history.

The Taste of Tasmania. Picture: Discover Tasmania

HOBART’S annual Taste of Tasmania festival will this year have cash support from the State Government for the first time in its 28-year history.

Negotiations between the council and the Government have resulted in a $50,000 cash payment and a further $26,000 of in-kind support to help the event achieve a more- sustainable footing.

Lord Mayor Sue Hickey has confirmed the funding.

“We have got $50,000 out of the State Government in cash and a discount on the shed fee,” Alderman Hickey said.

“We have passed the full amount back to stallholders.”

Ald Hickey said stallholders would get a discount on fees for the event — capped at $2000 to ensure smaller businesses could stay competitive.

The Government funding was provided on the condition the festival would have an increased focus on promoting stallholders from the state’s North and North-West.

Cost is among the issues that have been addressed with stallholders who were left reeling from problems at last year’s event when the council introduced a cashless system for the first time.

Accommodation deals have been struck with the University of Tasmania for non-Hobart stallholders.

Stallholders will also get a $1 commission on wine glasses and have them delivered by council staff throughout the event.

The funding comes as the council has been working on making the event cost-neutral.

The event runs at an estimate loss of about $1 million a year.

“We haven’t finished negotiations yet,” Ald Hickey said.

The State Government declined to comment.

Each year the State Government contributes about $10 million to over 100 events.

Hobart alderman Marti Zucco told the Mercury, before the funding was announced, that is was “baffling” the Government had not offered cash support.

“When you have an event like that, event funding should be seriously considered,” he said.

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Originally published as Government gives $50,000 to food festival