Organisers of major local events believe extra funding from Moorabool council will allow them to step up their marketing efforts and boost crowd numbers.
The council last week granted an extra $17,500 to four festivals after dropping out as a financial member of the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges Tourism Board.
Bacchus Marsh’s Strawberries and Cherries Weekend will receive $5000, the Ballan Autumn Festival has been given $5000, Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival gets $4000, and Blackwood Easter Woodchop is $3500 better off.
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend this year’s cherries weekend on November 16 and 17.
Bacchus Marsh Tourism Association and cherry festival spokeswoman Tina Serlis said the money would allow organisers to run the best event possible and allow them to spend more on marketing activities and advertising.
‘‘Every event is an investment in the next year and we always have to be looking ahead to ensure our events don’t go stale,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ll conduct visitor surveys and listen to feedback from our participating businesses, to ensure we are always evolving our events and meeting the needs of our community, our visitors, new visitors and local businesses.
‘‘The more people we can reach, the better the opportunity for increased economic stimulus towards our town.’’
Cr Allan Comrie said the tourism board had done “nothing” for Moorabool since it started in 2010 and had focussed on Hepburn and Macedon Ranges.
“We want our events to survive and thrive,” he said. “We’ve had many events that have burnt out over the years.”
A council report said local event organisers had long regarded limited financial and human resources as a major barrier to their sustainability and improvement.
Bacchus Marsh Tourism Association president David Durham said the extra money would anchor ongoing connections to Bacchus Marsh.
“Our visitors take home the memories of our beautiful event weekend, as well as multiple reasons to return on a regular basis over the following months,” he said.
Councillors Pat Toohey and Tom Sullivan opposed the redirection, saying the money should be spread across tourism for the whole shire.
