Posted August 4, 2010 11:47:00
The head of the region’s peak tourism body has thrown his weight behind the campaign to get Splendour in the Grass back to the Byron Shire.
The music festival attracted a crowd of 30 thousand to Woodford in south-east Queensland last weekend.
Opponents of the plan to stage it at a purpose-built venue at Yelgun next year believe it has outgrown the Byron Shire.
But Russell Mills, from Tourism Northern Rivers says it’s part of the region’s cultural fabric.
“It counts for a lot to have an event that brings a lot of money into the region, but it’s also a really important thing to make sure that an event has a good fit for the region and I believe Splendour in the Grass, it’s move is a loss to the region not just in economic terms but it’s removed a significant element of the region’s cultural identity,” mr Mills said.
“We need to have a cross section of events and the arts and creative industries is part of the reason people come here… so removing an event like that from the region is going to have an impact, not just an economic impact,” he said.