Depending on your point of view, supporting an institution that offers private and group music lessons beyond the reach of some residents could be seen as either elitist or simply looking to cater for residents whose interests extend beyond sport.

The difficulty is there is no perfect comparison between the conservatorium and other sporting, cultural and charitable activities that are also underwritten by council.

Grants also went to organisations as disparate as Orange Society of Model Engineers, which runs kids’ train rides, Lifeline, the Orange eisteddfod society, Wangarang, the purchase of wigs for cancer patients, guides, the Eight Day Games, community radio and the Orange Woodworkers’ Association.

The list is far longer and more varied than this, but the point is the city makes donations large and small to all sorts of organisations that cater for hobbies and sports and some more pressing needs. 

The only thing that really sets the conservatorium apart is the size of the donation it received. The next biggest donation went to the business enterprise centre ($5000) followed by several grants for $3000.

Anyone quick to criticise the size of the grant should also remember that the art gallery, the library, the aquatic centre and many other sports facilities are heavily subsidised by ratepayers. Several to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Not even Solomon would try to adjudicate on who was worthy to receive a grant based on what these organisations do. A school music program, conducted by the conservatorium, is no more or less worthy than a Guide camp or the Eight Day Games.

Perhaps the only test is how dependent a recipient is on council grants and the efforts it makes to wean itself off ratepayers’ money rather than rely too heavily on a donation year after year.

The conservatorium has indicated its aim is to become financially independent. Future grants should reflect its efforts in this direction.