Tassie Christmas Carnivals get funding boost

Tasmania’s State Government has announced it will increase funding for the state’s Christmas Carnivals by 50 percent after renewing its commitment to the series for another four years. The annual carnivals include athletics and wood chopping events, but the primary draw-card is a series of track races including International Cycling Union (UCI) ranked events.

Premier David Bartlett has announced the new deal with Sports Carnivals Association of Tasmania (SCAT) will see its total expenditure of $400,000 from the last four years increased to $600,000 for the next four years. Bartlett said he wants to preserve the tradition of the Carnivals and increase security of future series.

“Our current four-year support arrangement is about to expire and I don’t want to see a repeat of the situation where this year’s Latrobe Carnival nearly didn’t go ahead due to difficulty in securing sponsorship,” said Bartlett. “The Carnivals are too important a part of Tasmania’s summer culture to see them under threat and I am confident this increased financial support from the State Government will relieve some of the pressure on the member clubs and allow them to start planning the 2010-11 series with confidence.”

Sport and Recreation Minister Michelle O’Byrne said the new funds were a significant increase over the present funding model and would help ensure the success of the Carnivals into the future.

“This new funding allocation will be shared among all the Carnivals held under the SCAT umbrella, just as it is now,” O’Byrne said. “The Government also wants to keep working with SCAT to address some of the long-term sustainability issues facing the Carnivals and use these additional funds wisely to see that the series not only survives but prospers.”

O’Byrne said the State’s smart economic management throughout the past 12 months has freed up funds for it to inject back into the community. SCAT will be responsible for allocating the funds between its member clubs and events, including the Launceston Classic.