Council Backs 46 Events — Now Let’s Fill the Calendar

Mildura Rural City Council has endorsed funding for 46 events across the region, with $301,250 approved through its Events Funding and Support Program at the May meeting.

It is a solid investment, and not just because it gives people something to do.

Events bring visitors, and visitors spend money. They book motel rooms, stay in caravan parks, eat at local restaurants, buy fuel, grab coffee, visit shops and often explore a bit further than they first planned. That spending flows through the local economy and gives small businesses a lift.

Mildura already comes alive over the Easter long weekend, and we have probably nailed that. The place is busy, the riverfront is moving, motorsport is pumping, accommodation is full, and you can feel that extra buzz around town.

But the real opportunity now is filling the gaps across the rest of the year.

That is where events funding can make a real difference.

A strong events calendar should not rely on one or two big weekends. We need reasons for people to come here in the quieter months too... winter, late spring, early summer, and those odd weekends where the town can feel a bit flat.

Smaller events matter just as much as the big-ticket ones. A market, a food night, a sporting event, a car show, a music afternoon, a town festival or a river-based event might not look huge on paper, but together they keep people moving, spending and talking about the region.

For local businesses, that spread is important. A busy Easter is great, but cafes, pubs, restaurants, accommodation providers and retailers need more than one bumper weekend. A steady calendar gives them more chances to trade well, roster staff and plan ahead.

It is also a boost for our smaller towns.

Events in places like Merbein, Red Cliffs, Ouyen, and the wider district give people a reason to get out of Mildura, take a drive, spend locally and see what else is happening across the region.

The funding will help organisers cover the less glamorous but important costs such as promotion, permits, toilets, traffic management, staging, security, insurance and all the bits that make an event actually work.

But funding is only part of it.

These events need to be promoted properly. Too many good things happen around here and people only hear about them after they are over. If we want events to deliver real economic value, locals and visitors need to know what is on well before the day.

Forty-six funded events is a good start.

Now the challenge is to use it well and not just to make the calendar look busy, but to build a stronger year-round events region.

Easter is sorted.

Now let’s fill the gaps.