After knocking back an earlier request in August and limiting the donation to $10,000, and a letter from Manning PR and Events director Kyle Manning detailing the event’s struggle to find private sponsors, councillors rescinded the decision.

Councillors decided to contribute $30,000 in keeping with previous years, which will be subject to consultation.

Major sponsor McCormack Barber principal Peter McCormack said the council’s support meant organisers could relax.

“We were feeling a bit of stress prior to the decision and ultimately we’re only 16 weeks out and we need to lock in the providers and the pyrotechnics company,” he said.

“It really was getting to stage critical if we didn’t have a decision.”

Mr McCormack said the organisers had been hoping the council would lend additional support.

“To be able to put on an event you can take your family to for less than $50 benefits a large section of the community and for the people who can afford it, to actually keep them in town benefits the businesses across Orange as a whole,” he said.

He said the display would be as exciting as previous years.

However, the motion did not pass completely smoothly, with councillor Neil Jones questioning the donation amount.

“What concerns me is in the council’s report, it says the critical number to ensure the event proceeds is an additional $10,000, but now we’re saying $20,000,” he said.

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“We need to be very careful about putting in beyond what is needed.”

However, councillor Ash Brown said $20,000 would still leave a shortfall.

Money raised from the event will be put towards equipment for the Orange Health Service.

A Central Western Daily poll on Tuesday asked readers whether they supported the council further subsidising the event.

Of the 112 responses, 51 respondents believed it was worth the cost to ratepayers, while 61 people believed it was a waste of money.

danielle.cetinski@fairfaxmedia.com.au