Hobart alderman Jeff Briscoe slams Ron Christie over Dark Mofo stance

HOBART City Council alderman Jeff Briscoe is the latest to attack Lord Mayor Ron Christie over his continued anti-Dark Mofo stance.

Alderman Jeff Briscoe. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

HOBART City Council alderman Jeff Briscoe is the latest to attack Lord Mayor Ron Christie over his continued anti-Dark Mofo stance.

Alderman Jeff Briscoe said Dark Mofo was the most successful of a number of events implemented by the Hobart City Council to enliven the city in winter.

Alderman Christie is questioning continued funding of Dark Mofo by Hobart City Council and the State Government after some ratepayers expressed concern about inverted crosses at the 2018 festival.

It also comes against a background in which the Australian Christian Lobby is campaigning against State Government funding because it says the festival is a pagan ritual which worships darkness and nudity.

MORE:

LORD MAYOR SAYS DARK MOFO HAS NO TOURISM BENEFITS

AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN LOBBY WANTS TO STOP STATE GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF DARK MOFO

On Friday, Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin said Dark Mofo had a massive flow-on effect across Tasmania.

Tourism Industry Council Tasmania chief executive Luke Martin. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

“June in Hobart now is as big as summer with people spending at restaurants, retail and getting out into regions,” he said. “Tourism operators will hear Ald Christie’s comments and laugh. It’s bonkers,” he said.

Ald Briscoe said the 2017 figures for the event showed nearly 450,000 attendances with 92,000 passengers arriving through the Hobart Airport.

“It is clear that attendees, whether fellow Tasmanians or visitors, love the activation of the waterfront and the many other venues,” he said.

“The 11,000 or so interstate or international visitors spent at least five days in Tasmania, with an average spend of just over a thousand dollars each, including over $2.2 million in ticket sales.

Ald Briscoe said he believed the 2018 figures would be better.

Alderman Jeff Briscoe. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

“Every accommodation and eatery in Hobart and elsewhere have benefited and will continue to benefit into the future.

“Art and music was the vibe of our great little city.

“Is the future a return to a dark winter Hobart where locals and visitors depart?

He said the winter activation strategy had also included seed funding for North Melbourne to play AFL roster games in Hobart.

“The most successful of our winter festivals is Dark Mofo, supported by the Council but a private enterprise event,” he said.

“It has been described as ‘the jewel in Hobart’s wintry tourism crown’ by Double J and as an ‘unmissable event unlike anything in Australia’ by Express Magazine in Western Australia,” Ald Briscoe said.

Ald Christie said the council had contributed $658,000 of ratepayers’ funds to Dark Mofo.

“It didn’t reap great rewards for tourism,” he said.

Hobart Lord Mayor Ron Christie. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

The festival has been the subject of rival petitions tabled at the council.

A petition against the festival had 17,000 signatures with only 700 of the signatories residing in southern Tasmania.

A petition in favour of the festival comprised 11,000 signatures with 5744 of the signatories located in the Greater Hobart area.

The council’s present funding agreement with Dark Mofo finished this year and will be reviewed.

In July, Premier Will Hodgman rejected suggestions that the festival had gone too far saying that it was part of a “landscape that is the most exciting, vibrant industry sector in the country”.