A well deserved serve

WHO would have believed it, one day 30,000 people and lavished as the best yet, and today it may all be over.
The Noosa Food and Wine Festival is up there with the best food style festivals in the country, if not the leader.
I have had a long friendship with Jim Berardo and have always admired the passion he exerts for anything he believes and is involved in.
Yeah, yeah, I know he makes a quid out of what he does, but he always puts his hands in his own pockets to ensure a good result.
That attribute isn’t shared with some other Noosa identities who like to make out how much they do in the area.
I notice a few business people have come out in print “we’ll help the event to keep going”.
Now allow me to offer some advice, once the financials are sorted out and creditors are looked after, a well thought out decision must be made.
A plan must be put into action to continue or shelve the event, it’s that simple.
Over the next few weeks, dollar estimates will float around the community and give everyone a clear base to work from.
Administrator John Cunningham will be conducting a creditors meeting today, hopefully any decisions made will start the process of whether or not it’s worth the effort of re-structuring a new look festival.
Or is it worth the headache of continuing the re-float what could be a sinking ship.
Jim himself confesses that he invested $4 million in the festival and restaurant over the time-frame, and this year’s event cost $2 million to run.
The saddest aspect for Jim was the distinct lack of genuine financial support offered, especially if you compare with other similar high profile events.
Events declared include Margret River which receives $2.53 from the WA Government, Melbourne and Adelaide both receiving over $1 million each from their governments.
I notice mayor Noel Playford is offering his support, hopefully he means financial and not just cleaning the Lions Park.
Tourism Noosa chief executive Damien Masingham is another onside with the resurrection: “Tourism Noosa will work with all parties to do everything we can to ensure the festival continues in the future”.
Councillor Frank Wilkie could be the saviour here after his comments re: the tourism changes for July.
Cr Wilkie said the new arrangements for funding through the levy will be more defined in local marketing activities. Frank said: ‘”The new arrangement will depend more upon mutually agreed, clearly defined marketing programs than the automatic, annual transfer of $500,000 dollars to Destinations Limited”.
There you go Frank, how about channelling some of that loot towards the new Food Festival, it certainly covers the local marketing angle.
It’s strange, while its doom and gloom with the food, that’s not the case for other Noosa events after the announcement of state major events funding – the Festival of Surfing, Rally Queensland, Doonan Equestrian Centre, Ocean Swim Series and Sevens Rugby all receiving three-year grants.
Until next time.