Council not ‘that’ festive

By Shaun Inguanzo
ORGANISERS of a festival that is tipped to attract 20,000 visitors to Greater Dandenong are furious that the city’s council has refused to give an extra $7000 to cover increased overheads.
Latin American group, Fonda la Clinica, is organising a Latin American cultural festival to be held in September at Sandown Racecourse.
Members of Fonda la Clinica attended last week’s council meeting where Noble Park North Ward councillor Maria Sampey moved that council inject an extra $7000 into the festival, in addition to the $5000 it had already allocated under the 2007-08 budget.
But councillors opposed the move, with Springvale South Ward councillor Yvonne Herring leading the charge.
Cr Herring said the council had already allocated $5000 to Fonda la Clinica, while other community groups had missed out on festival funds.
Cr Herring said Fonda la Clinica’s application was late, and it was fortunate to have received the $5000, let alone ask for another $7000.
But Cr Sampey said rental costs at Sandown Racecourse had increased by 33 per cent on 2006 prices, meaning the group will have to pay $44,000 in venue hire fees for the two-day festival.
Councillors voted against Cr Sampey’s motion, and Fonda la Clinica members present at the meeting were visibly shattered.
Fonda la Clinica spokesman Roman Guerra said the group had a $21,000 surplus from last year’s festival and would take gate fees, as was normal, at this year’s festival.
But he said the group would still struggle to pay hire fees of $44,000.
He said it had tried to hire Greaves Reserve, the home of the Dandenong Show, because it was cheaper.
But he said the Dandenong Agricultural and Pastoral Society rejected its application, and the group was forced to stay at Sandown to cater for the enormous crowd expected.
Mr Guerra said the group would have to cross its fingers and hope gate fees covered the costs.