Page 4060 - Week 13 - Thursday, 2 December 2021
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MS CHEYNE: I thank Mr Davis for the question, and I am pleased to talk about what the government is doing to support SouthFest. Members may recall that SouthFest, the inaugural event, was held in November 2018 to great success with more than 15,000 people in attendance. After that overwhelming response it returned again in November 2019 with over 200 stallholders and more than 20 sponsors, which I think is a real credit to the organisers.
SouthFest then applied for and was successful in receiving a grant through the ACT Event Fund for 2020 to the tune of $15,000. It was not able to hold the event in November 2020 nor in November 2021, but it is now reimagining the event to be held as SouthFest in the Suburbs in February 2022. We have been able to rollover that $15,000 of funding.
I am also pleased to share with the Assembly that SouthFest has been successful again in their approach to the ACT government through the ACT Event Fund and has received another $15,000 to host SouthFest in November 2022 in a more traditional format. So the Tuggeranong community will be benefitting from not one but two SouthFests next year.
MR DAVIS: Minister, what additional government supports have you identified might need to be required to manage in ongoing pandemic situation as it relates to SouthFest?
MS CHEYNE: We always take the health advice, and I appreciate that the organisers have put together a reimagined festival as a result of where we currently are with the pandemic. The ACT government stands ready to work with the organisers of SouthFest, particularly around public land use and any events approvals that are required.
As members are well aware, we have also established an Outdoor Activation Taskforce, and I understand that SouthFest has a callout at the moment for different stalls and events that people might want to host throughout the suburbs. We would be prepared to work with anyone who is identified through that process to ensure that SouthFest in the Suburbs is a success.
MS CLAY: Minister, can you tell me what planning and support you have underway to support similar events in Belconnen and Gungahlin?
MS CHEYNE: There are plenty of events going on, and we look forward to the return of the Gungahlin festival. There are pop-up events and particularly in the suburbs we have been really impressed to see just how many suburban shops have been engaging with the Outdoor Activation Taskforce. One particular example has been in Scullin in the electorate of both Ms Clay and me. We have been working with the Scullin Community Group on how we can activate more of the outdoor space, particularly around the shops.
We encourage anyone who is interested to get in touch. We have an events team and, of course, the Outdoor Activation Taskforce, but if anyone is having any difficulty
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