The promoter responsible for running A Day on the Green will be given $60,000 over three years to get the musical festival up and running.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Orange City Council voted unanimously to provide Roundhouse Entertainment with $40,000 for the inaugural event and $10,000 each year thereafter of its three year contract with Heifer Station Wines.
Roundhouse Entertainment Promoter Michael Newton said the $60,000 was to assist with the initial set up and site development costs at Heifer Station "to ensure a world class event".
The more infrastructure, the more Day on the Greens
- James Thomas
Council took into consideration development costs quoted at $160,000 to establish the site over the three years.
Heifer Station operations manager James Thomas said the money would be spent on access to the site, which included building roads, gates and paths, as well as building stages and a space capable of parking a semi-trailer.
"The more infrastructure, the more Day on the Greens," Mr Thomas said.
Mr Thomas said Heifer Station was contracted to Roundhouse to exclusively host its event at the site, but it was unlikely to just be one summer show.
"We're looking to do three or four concerts a year and keep that going as long as possible," he said.
Funding was conditional on acknowledgement of council as event sponsors, a commitment to delivering concerts featuring high-profile acts, support and site establishment to Heifer for a minimum of three events and the provision of an audited statement, identifying how the funding was spent.
Mr Newton said as part of Roundhouse's commitment to the region, and to ensure the success of its own event, the company was actively promoting the region as a tourist destination "encouraging patrons to not only come to the show but to spend time discovering and enjoying all that is on offer."
Online ticket sales to the February 1 event sold out in just seven weeks, with 40 per cent of tickets sold to 2800 postcode holders, 15 per cent to Orange residents outside 2800, 11 per cent from surrounding towns and 34 per cent from outside the region.
Based on those figures, A Day on the Green was projected to inject $1.7 million into the local economy.
Money for the festival will come from an $80,000 surplus in council's 2019/20 budget, resulting from the discontinuation of Evocities, an initiative designed to attract city people to the region.
Roundhouse Entertainment has also made an application for funding from Cabonne Council for $30,000 over three years. The proposal is open to submissions until December 11.
Orange City Council and Heifer Station have also sought funding support from Destination NSW.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...