Industry heavyweights call for council to hand Taste of Tasmania to professionals

THE Taste of Tasmania should be organised and run by independent professionals – not the Hobart City Council – Tasmania’s tourism chief says.

The new Commonwealth bank cashless card pay systems at the taste of Tasmania Picture: Luke Bowden

THE Taste of Tasmania should be organised and run by independent professionals – not the Hobart City Council – Tasmania’s tourism chief says.

Tourism Industry Council of Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin’s call, which has been backed by the powerful hotel lobby, comes in the wake of widespread concern among stallholders over the introduction of a cashless payment system at the festival.

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Mr Martin said the long-term sustainability of the waterfront food and wine festival would be more secure if the council took a step back.

“It’s the biggest event in the state,” he said.

“Where else in the world would you have politicians being the guiders and directors of a major event like this?

“Maybe they could take a leaf out of the books of some of the other highly successful events in the state such as the Wooden Boat Festival or Festival of Voices that are all structured independently, with an expert-based board.”

Tasmanian Hospitality Association general manager Steve Old, who last week expressed concerns the recent event was too alcohol focused, said ratepayers and visitors deserved the best possible event.

“What we want to make sure is that every year the event gets better and better and whether it be that it’s run by an outside organisation, then we’ll obviously support council in that,” Mr Old said.

Acting Lord Mayor Ron Christie said the prospect of handing the running of the Taste over to independent organisers had been discussed.

“We have innovative ways in which we can move forward and this is one of them,” Ald Christie said.

There are calls for the Hobart City Council to hand over running the Taste of Tasmania to an expert-based board.

Mr Martin said there were many potential benefits to having the council distance itself, such as being able to apply for government funding.

He said not one of the comparable events he knew of was run by a council.

“Even Festivale in Launceston, they’re all independent structured entities, the councils are heavily involved with support but they are independent and have a skills-based team,” he said.

“Melbourne International Food Festival is certainly not run by the council, it’s a professional, independently structured event.”

Mr Martin said having elected representatives running the festival led to compromised outcomes.

“You wouldn’t have these constant political battles like you do around Taste because councillors and lord mayor and deputy lord mayors have to make decisions about events they don’t have expertise in, and then they’re having to go out and defend it,” he said.

“Perhaps now is the time, with all the controversy over this year’s event and changes made, it’s time for council to have a sober analysis.”

The council’s decision to move to cashless payment system to recoup organising costs was met with anger from stallholders after a series of costly errors were reported.

The number of stallholders was down on previous years and many stalwarts of the festival did not apply due to apprehension about the new system.