Potential East Coast New Year’s festival to bring new hope

The idea for a music festival to be held on the East Coast over New Year’s Eve has been embraced by the region’s tourism body, who say it could revive the area which has been hit hard by travel restrictions.

• A new music festival may rise in the wake of Falls cancellation
• Falls Festival Marion Bay 2020 cancelled

THE potential for an East Coast festival over New Year’s has been embraced by the community, who see it as a chance to say goodbye to a difficult year and look forward to new opportunities.

wotif.com founder Graeme Wood has floated the idea of a music festival featuring local talent at his Spring Bay Mill eco-tourism and events site in light of the cancellation of Tasmania’s Falls Festival.

Graeme Wood at the Spring Bay Mill where he hopes to hold a festival over New Year’s Eve. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

East Coast Tourism CEO Rhonda Taylor welcomed the proposal.

“This has been an extraordinary year with all the pain and challenges associated with it, I think it would be fantastic to have a festival such as this to give hope to the New Year. Hopefully 2021 will bring new opportunities and new excitement,” she said.

Mrs Taylor said the area had been particularly hard hit by COVID-19.

“The East Coast is the sixth most tourism-dependent region in Australia, which means the impact has been vast. So to see someone like Graeme Wood come in, he’s obviously investing in the Spring Bay development but also wanting to help and support[ing] a festival such as this adds another layer of excitement. The fact that he’s prepared to have a go in such a difficult time with so many unknowns is very brave of him and he should be congratulated.”

View from Spring Bay Mill to Maria Island.

Mrs Taylor said the Spring Bay Mill development was being rolled out in stages with some accommodation and function spaces already complete, which will be built upon.

“It’s the perfect place for a festival such as this, it’s quite an isolated area and just a beautiful area and stunning location.”

Mrs Taylor said the cancellation of Falls at Marion Bay was a big loss in terms of tourism but also for locals.

Falls Festival at Marion Bay, New Year’s Eve. PICTURE: MATT THOMPSON

“Festivals are right of passage for young people, it’s about having somewhere they can come together.”

Glamorgan Spring Bay Council Acting Mayor Jenny Woods said she was pleased by the potential of the festival.

“The community would be very welcoming of him doing that and there would be financial benefits for the region you would think,” she said.

Cr Woods said traditionally summer was a very busy time on the coast with shackies and visitors and she imagined a festival would draw a lot of people.

“We have a huge swell of people over Christmas and New Year.”