Two notable sporting highlights have been lost to the Great Lakes calendar so far this year, with Council allegedly at the centre of it all.
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The Forster Island Paddle Festival has been called off after running for just two years. Festival organisers took to social media in September to announce that the festival would be unable to continue due to high costs stemming from council and waterway approvals, insurance, boats and more.
“It is not feasible to run the event this year,” organisers wrote, with one reply to a disappointed fan referring to high council fees.
The festival was scheduled for February 4 and 5 with an opportunity for competitors of all ages to enter events across varying distances six months ago. The previous event, held in February last year, included the Forster Island Challenge and featured competitors who rank in the world’s top 20 for paddle boarding.
Members of the public have voiced their disappointment on social media.
“[It was] Such a great thing for the community,” wrote Denise Kane.
“Devastated, this was one of my favourite events and such a fun weekend away with friends in such a beautiful part of the country,” Andy N Nicki Day said.
Organisers declined to comment to the Great Lakes Advocate but a spokesperson from MidCoast Council said details have not been provided to them as to why the event was cancelled.
One of the organisers, Peter Camilleri, has also been known for his role in running Forster’s popular Running Festival, still scheduled to take place in September. It will now be run by Kevin Chilvers who also runs the event in Port Macquarie.
Meanwhile, the NSW Triathlon Club Championships held in Forster for the past six years has moved to Orange after the organisation’s contract with this region expired in 2016 and negotiations to renew, faltered.
“We went back to council to ask if they would be happy hosting it again. There was a lot of uncertainty because of the council mergers, so we said we would be happy with a one year extension. They got back to us and said we don’t want to do a one year, we want to do three years," Phil Dally, general manager for Triathlon NSW said.
After hesitating due to an un-budgeted surprise “event supervision” fee (around $1700) charged by council last year, Mr Dally consented but requested Council confirm the fee for the upcoming years in writing.
“We still haven’t heard back.”
Meanwhile the organisation was approached by Orange City Council with a new route.
“They bent over backwards to make sure the event was held there, including doing capital works.”
According to Mr Dally, MidCoast Council requested no other fees and both it and Orange actually pay a hosting fee, which varies depending on how big events are, in this case around $1 per competitor.
The much anticipated triathlon inter-club event includes more than 50 clubs and up to 2000 participants, all arriving with their ‘entourage’.
“I think it’s been an interesting one because Forster’s a really great venue, our members really enjoy the weekend away and it’s a risk for us to move it west of the mountains, particularly for clubs on the north coast, as now it’s much further away. Then on the other side, it’s brought to light the triathlon community on the west of the mountains.”
Needless to say, new hosts Orange City Council are tapping into the event as a lure for potential tourists.