Organisers have cancelled the Endless Summer Festival due to be held at Cronulla in December, citing ‘‘a last minute decision’’ by Sutherland Shire Council to cut funding.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
The council responded today saying it was keen to see the events run but had to prioritise grant requests from community organisations over ‘‘for profit’’ events such as Endless Summer.
In a statement, festival event founder and director Mario Kalpou, who runs the Old Library at Cronulla, said on Friday: “It’s with regret that I confirm we’re unable to proceed with staging the 2014 Endless Summer Festival. Without warning, Sutherland Shire Council has pulled $50,000 in sponsorship funds, and as a direct result we are unable to proceed with staging the event.
‘‘The event is a free community event, not ticketed, and there is no way this close to the event launching that we can hope to make up a $50,000 budget shortfall. It is devastating.”
Mr Kalpou also said it was disappointing that funds were pulled at the ‘‘eleventh hour’’.
‘‘If it had happened earlier in the year I could have found another sponsor and the event would have proceeded,’’ he said.
‘‘But with the council doing this so last minute I am unable to fill such a big hole in the budget. I personally have committed hundreds of hours, employed staff since the beginning of the year and garnered a lot of support from local businesses and other sponsors.
‘‘A lot of people are going to be disappointed.’’
Sutherland Shire Council said it received a request for $150,000 sponsorship for the Endless Summer 2014 event.
‘‘From that request, the event organisers were asked to provide further information on the expenditure of council's sponsorship of $50,000 for the inaugural Endless Summer event in 2013 and how the request for $150,000 funding for the 2014 event would be spent.’’
A council spokeswoman said once the council received further information, it decided to offer Endless Summer organisers ‘‘$15,000 in kind support to provide waste removal, litter collection and toilet cleaning at Gunnamatta Park’’ over the three- day event.
‘‘While the council is keen to see events run in the shire, it is very conscious of spending ratepayers’ money wisely and prioritises grant requests from community organisations over ‘for profit’ events such as Endless Summer,’’ the spokeswoman said.
Mr Kalpou said last year’s event was ‘‘a huge success’’, attracting crowds in excess of 50,000 across three days.
‘‘In 2014 the Endless Summer Festival free music offering was set to be even bigger with international acts joining top Aussie bands on the line-up, and the event expected to attract crowds in excess of 60,000,’’ he said.
‘‘Charities, who were relying on the event to raise funds for them, and local schools participating in the arts photo competition, will be left in the lurch as a result of the council cutting the event funding.’’
‘‘We are, however, already making plans for the 2015 event. I refuse to let them ruin the spirit of what was such an awesome free community event. I love the Cronulla region. It’s where I live and run a business, which is why I was so happy to bring the Endless Summer Festival to the area.
‘‘We’ll be back even bigger and better next year.”
Are you disappointed that the festival has been cancelled?