THE Surf Coast Shire has changed its funding agreement with Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism (GORRT) to a more equitable model.<\/p>\n
Under the existing three-year agreement, which expires on June 30, the shire provides a financial contribution to GORRT of $154,758, with two agreements: a Funding Agreement and a Heads of Agreement.<\/p>\n
In March, GORRT wrote to the council seeking a new equity-based three-year agreement using population as the key metric in the funding formula.<\/p>\n
Under this method, the shire\u2019s contribution via a funding agreement would be $135,621 in 2019\/2020 (an increase of $55,863 on the existing arrangement) and would increase by 2 per cent annually for the next two years.<\/p>\n
Under the Heads of Agreement, the shire also pays $75,000 to GORRT on behalf of businesses that have paid the commercial and industrial differential rate, which enables those businesses to receive a marketing package.<\/p>\n
However, despite promotion, take up of this offer has diminished with only 99 businesses subscribing, resulting in an average payment of $757 for a package valued at $385.<\/p>\n
At their meeting last month, councillors resolved to accept the recommendation to end the Heads of Agreement and enter into a single Funding Agreement, which would bring the shire\u2019s funding and promotion offering into alignment with other councils along the Great Ocean Road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE Surf Coast Shire has changed its funding agreement with Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism (GORRT) to a more equitable model. Under the existing three-year agreement, which expires on June 30, the shire provides a financial contribution to GORRT of $154,758, with two agreements: a Funding Agreement and a Heads of Agreement. In March, GORRT […]<\/p>\n