Last-minute sponsorship saves Musselfest

Musselfest will go ahead this year after last-minute private sponsors were found to fund the two-day event.

The Musselfest organising committee made the decision last week after weeks of uncertainty about the February event’s future.

Musselfest, which has been running for 13 years, lost $30,000 in regular sponsorship this year after Healthways withdrew its grant and the City of Rockingham cut its funding contribution by $5000.

Last week, event organiser Peter Roaen said it was not possible to run the festival with a quarter of its funding budget cut.

Since then, new sponsors have cometo the table, allowing organisers to press ahead with preparations for the festival, which celebrates the wealth of the Rockingham area — its industry, talent, art and craft, and food and wine.

‘‘The additional private sponsorship has saved the festival this year,’’ Mr Roaen said.

‘‘We won’t beworking with a luxury budget, though, we will have just enough to produce the festival to about the same scale it was last year.

‘‘We are still looking for some more funding in the coming weeks so we can use it to make the festival grow better than ever.’’

Rockingham Mayor Barry Sammels defended the city’s reduction in funding and said the council had identified some areas of the proposed budget that needed to be reviewed.

‘‘During the grant assessment process, a couple of items were identified in the proposed budget that could benefit from review and cost cutting measures,’’ he said.

He said all applications for funds must be reviewed in terms of the total budget and the number of groups and individuals applying for funds. Many groups did not get funding, or got less than requested.

Musselfest will be held on the Rockingham foreshore on February 25-26.