The future of the Snowy River Festival hangs in the balance this week as debate continues over whether the event should stay on the banks of the Snowy River at Dalgety.
The popular event has outgrown its current site and organisers met on Monday night to discuss the possibility of moving the festival to a larger site somewhere else within the Snowy River Shire. The Perisher-owned, Station Resort at Jindabyne has been earmarked as a possible site.
Yesterday, about 35 people attended a two-hour public meeting at the Dalgety Hall from 9am to discuss the festival’s future. Spokesman Nick Kirshner of Dalegty advised that the meeting was not prepared to vote on the issue but a further public meeting will be held next Wednesday, February10 at 6pm in the multi purpose building of the Dalgety Showground.
The Showground has been the site of the festival since it began six years ago. The festival is now a mainstay of the Snowy Mountains summer calendar of events.
Last year 3,500 people came to watch the high country themed entertainment where the main attraction is the feature competition - the Stockman’s Challenge.
The event had record entries and strong support from local riders - especially junior competitors.
The Stockman’s Challenge has been added to the presigious Triple Crown series which is held throughout Australia and attracts the best competitors in the country vying for the prize money.
Limited facilities and room at Dalgety Showground and rising costs have meant that the volunteer committee has struggled financially in recent years. Equine Flu meant horses were banned two years ago and it has taken until now for the festival to get back on its feet.
The festival now stands at a crossroads - it either stays a “community run” event with limitations with finances, facilities, competitor numbers and the constant battle to man it from a volunteer workforce - or it expands and potentially becomes a nationally recognised major event and tourist drawcard to the Snowy Mountains in the warmer months.
A privately run venue which can offer better facilities, accommodation, food and services would be an option that is favoured by 2010 Snowy River Festival president, Cecilia Wellsmore.
“Our major goal is to keep celebrating our heritage.
“But we can’t keep doing what we are doing. We need to raise the bar on the event and take some of the pressures off the volunteers,” Mrs Wellsmore said.
The day-to-day planning and running of the event would be removed from the volunteer committee and they would be left with the responsibility of growing the event and maintaining its integrity.
The Man from Snowy River Bush Festival in Corryong was used as an example of an event that moved and became bigger and better because of it.
It was moved from its original site to allow the event to grow and offer more facilities for competitors and draw tourists to the event.
Nick Kirshner from Dalgety addressed the meeting and was passionate about it staying in its current location.
“It’s almost a knee jerk reaction to want to move it,” said Mr Kirschner.
He proposed that professional event management be considered as a possibility and that camping facilities be expanded to private property. Possible venues were discussed and further meetings are being held this week to look at possible locations.
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