The Horsham Country Music Festival will continue for the next three years after an 'in principle' partnership agreement.
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Horsham Country Music inc. and Horsham Rural City Council have been joined by new investment partner, Horsham Sports and Community Club.
It follows the successful 2019 festival last weekend, which was to be the last due to the age and health of the members of the organising committee.
In a joint statement, the three organisations said negotiations between them had been held in good faith, and that there had many requests to keep the festival going due to the tourism boom it provided Horsham.
HSCC board member Tim Coller said the organisation was keen to offer 'in principle' financial support.
"It is important the hard work undertaken by the current organising committee is acknowledged and further strengthened to ensure that the economic benefit this event brings to the Horsham community is not lost to another city," he said.
Horsham Country Music committee member Lyall Wheaton said the committee had endorsed the proposal.
"Funding for a part-time festival coordinator will significantly reduce the workload of the volunteers that run the festival," he said.
"Next year's festival isn't locked in, but it's close to being locked in. It's one thing to have the money to employ a co-ordinator on a part-time basis, but it's another thing to find someone with the skill and interest in the position. Council will prepare a job description and they're planning to advertise it.
"The biggest part of the job is getting patrons to come to the event - advertising and websites and all that sort of stuff. Because we promoted this year's festival as the final one, we had an increase in attendance of about 250 people. For the 13th festival retaining that number might not be that easy."
Mr Wheaton said a Horsham Country Music Festival committee, separate to the existing one, would be established, which would include a paid event manager.
"We felt we didn't have the capacity to continue running the festival, but we could continue running the RSL, and that's why the decision was made to set up a separate committee," he said.
"We will continue to organise the monthly shows."
Horsham Riverside Caravan Park co-manager Sue Jones said the business was nearly booked out for a weekend next March by attendees of this year's festival.
"That's how confident they are in wanting to come back," she said.
"Even if it's not on next year a few people have said they want to come back to Horsham anyway."
Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
