Garden City responds to shock councillor votes over Chronicle Garden Competition

Garden champions and influential stakeholders have joined the chorus for future support of The Chronicle’s annual garden competition after a trio of councillors voted against critical funding for the 75th anniversary event to go ahead.

Tiffany Wicks, 6 Fairholme Street, Mount Lofty.Chronicle Garden CompetitionMonday September 5th, 2023

A number of influential stakeholders of the Garden City have joined a growing chorus of shock after three councillors voted against a motion to provide critical funding for the iconic Chronicle Garden Competition in its 75th year.

While the $23,000 cash and $27,000 in-kind funding sponsorship package for the garden competition - which is run by this masthead - was endorsed by the majority of Toowoomba Region councillors on Tuesday, councillors Tim McMahon, Carol Taylor and Bill Cahill voted against it.

Moments later Mr McMahon, Ms Taylor and Mr Cahill voted alongside their colleagues in a unanimous vote to fund a $45,000 sponsorship deal for the upstart Toowoomba Marathon.

One of the region’s award-winning gardeners Tiffany Wicks, who is considered to be the face of the next generation of gardeners in the Garden City, said she was “flabbergasted” and “at a loss for words” when she heard three councillors voted against integral funding for the multi-generational beloved event.

City Floral Garden winner and City Option Under 45s winner, Tiffany Wicks. Chronicle Garden Competition awards presentation Thursday September 14, 2023

The winner of the 2023 Chronicle Garden Competition categories for City Under 45s and City Floral Garden, Ms Wicks said gardeners spend a huge amount of time and money throughout the year, preparing their garden, not to mention the “full-time job” of opening the garden for thousands of people to walk through.

Ms Wicks said she was incredibly passionate about being a part of a 75-year competition and the opportunity which comes with The Chronicle’s sponsorship and support would be hard to find elsewhere.

“To not support it is losing probably half of what there is to offer at the Carnival of Flowers,” she said.

“It is extremely upsetting that the three councillors, would without question, back a marathon, which can occur in any town (and does) but not back an event that puts us on the map.”

While Mr McMahon, Ms Taylor and Mr Cahill claim they support the annual Chronicle Garden Competition they were the only councillors to vote against the event from receiving funding critical for it to go ahead in 2024.

Long-time gardener Merv Buckley has been in the garden competition for more than 20 years, and said there wouldn’t be much of a carnival if it didn’t have the competition.

Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce chief executive Todd Rohl said he too was disappointed by the voting pattern of councillors McMahon, Taylor and Cahill.

Todd Rohl of Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce on the panel at the Future Toowoomba lunch. December 3, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

“The Chamber of Commerce is fully behind Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers co-ordinator Kate Scott and her team but it’s disappointing to see those three councillors are out of touch with their mission of rich traditions and bold ambitions,” Mr Rohl said.

While the Botanical Gardens and Laurel Bank park are highly desirous to see, the majority of the some 400,000 people who come to the Carnival of Flowers, come to see the private gardens, South Queensland Country Tourism chief executive Peter Homan said.

“The fabric of society it grows is incredibly important to the region,” he said.

Southern Queensland Country CEO Peter Homan. July 13, 2021. Picture: Kevin Farmer

It is understood News Corp is providing nearly $40,000 in prizes to the winning gardeners, along with thousands of dollars to support its operation and promotion.

The Chronicle Garden Competition is also one of the highest paying garden competitions in Australia and last year helped coordinate 80 gardeners to have their vibrant displays ready in time for Carnival of Flowers.

Despite the motion simply asking councillors to vote on funding towards the 2024 event just a few months away, Mr McMahon and Ms Taylor said right before voting that the council could take over running the entire event and queried the future of the competition.

Mr Cahill suggested there was not enough detail on the event’s financials to make a decision, despite that not being a requirement for a funding application.