Ballarat's Carols by Candlelight concert will get a funding boost for the next three years if a proposed grant is voted through by council next week.
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Council officers have recommended a "strategic partnership" to shore up the future running of the event with $20,000 this year, followed by $15,000 next year and $10,000 in 2021.
Councillors will vote on the proposal next Wednesday (October 30).
The future of the popular festive fixture had looked in doubt when organisers announced in July that they were cancelling this year's event. They cited a lack of volunteer support for the concert, which has taken place in the city for 48 years.
A month later, however, a new version was announced, backed by the new not-for-profit Ballarat Carols by Candlelight Incorporated Association. This year's event is scheduled for December 22 at City Oval.
The Carols by Candlelight organisation requested $60,000 over the next three years, with council officers recommending 75 per cent of that in total.
Other options put forward were to allow the full amount, funding the event for a single year or rejecting the funding request all together.
Among the reasons cited for supporting the grant was its widespread support in the community. Officers also said work done for the event would "predominantly utilise local contractors, suppliers and entertainers."
The year-on-year reductions in funding are designed to encourage organisers to use the grant as "seed funding" and reduced any reliance on the City of Ballarat in the future.
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The event began in a Ballarat backyard and was previously known as Eureka Carols. It subsequently moved to the North Gardens the switched to Mars Stadium last year. The City of Ballarat had provided $52,875 for its staging in the previous seven years.
Funding for Plate-Up Ballarat will also be considered, with council officers recommending annual funding of $31,176 over the next three years. The month-long event was first held in May last year and is designed to show off the best of the region's culinary scene.
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