Proposed plan to develop Lakes District Events Agency released for debate

The first Shaping our Future task force report and recommendations are available from today for public consideration and debate.

The Events Task Force Report recommends an Events Agency be formed and maps out a plan that will coordinate and facilitate a currently fragmented industry sector. The report recommends action to many agencies from the Ministry of Economic development to QLDC, who are asked to provide $175,000 in seed funding in the first year.

Shaping our Future spokesman David Kennedy says the report is the first recommendation to come out of the Shaping our Future process.

“We are thrilled with the calibre of this report generated from a group of volunteers who are passionate about seeing success for events in the district.

“Shaping our Future is a long term engagement process that is basically a system of getting people together to figure out what they want for the district and how to achieve it. The process begins with forums which result in task forces which produce reports and recommendations.

“This report has considered the current situation around events and produced a plan to shape the events sector into a high performing driver that delivers economic and social value to the district. It’s up to all of us to now decide whether these recommendations are the way forward for events in the District.”

Central to the task force recommendation is the establishment of a District Event Office governed by a representative board with an independent legal structure.

The full report is available at www.shapingourfuture.org.nz.

“The way we approach the funding and facilitation of events across the District has always been the topic of much debate,” says Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Vanessa van Uden.

“Now we have a real starting point to work with and recommendations to consider , all put together by volunteers who know both the industry sector and the district.”

The Events Forum to receive the report is scheduled for 23 February 4.30pm to 7pm at QLDC offices in Wanaka and Queenstown linked by video. These forums are open to all members of the public.

For those who can’t make a forum, please provide feedback to shourfu@gmail.com.