The future of the Keilor Gift is again in doubt after Brimbank council slashed funding for the event.
The event was scrapped in 2017 due to a lack of funding, but was reintroduced in 2018 as a two-day festival across the whole Keilor Village.
Keilor Gift organising committee chairperson Hayden Kelly this week said funding had again been cut and there would be no village festival to accompany this year’s gift, to be held on February 15.
“It’s disappointing that the council saw fit to cut our funding from $23,000 to $10,000, which means we’re unable to run the festival,” Mr Kelly said.
“It’s a bit bizarre considering it was the council who came to us two years ago with the idea of running the festival and the funding increase and now they’ve pulled it without consultation.
“If the funding isn’t restored next year we’ll have to consider not running it.”
Keilor Traders Association president Pat Senserrick said it was a blow to retailers in the village.
“It’s a bit of a kick in the guts to be honest,” Mr Senserrick said.
“Traders in shopping strips across the country are doing it tough at the moment and big events like this, that bring lots of people in, are looked forward to.
“There’s a real sense that we’ve been forgotten in this community.”
Brimbank council director advocacy, partnerships and community Dan Hogan defended the council’s decision and said the gift was subject to the same process as any other applicant.
“The grants process each year gives all community groups an equal chance to compete for funding,” Mr Hogan said.
“It is not a perpetual fund, and funding decisions are not based on historical funding arrangements, but on the merits, evidence and relative strength of each annual application.”
However Cr Virginia Tachos said councillors were kept out of the funding process, despite fighting for the event.
“Decisions on grants funding are increasingly being made by administrations not politicians,” Cr Tachos said.
“Brimbank council administration assessed the applications and made the funding decisions. Councillors were … separated from the decision-making process altogether.”
