Guy welcomes local NZ 2011 Festival funding
Otaki MP Nathan Guy has welcomed the $26,000 in funding allocated to local organisations for festival events to coincide with the Rugby World Cup (RWC).
“The Rahui Football and Sports Club in Otaki have won $18,000 for their event ‘A Cultural Experience,’ involving a weekend of festivities built around a Heartland rugby game between Horowhenua-Kapiti and the East Coast on the 24th of September.
“On the 7th of October the Otaki Races will be a draw card for tourists based at the Trentham Camper Van Park, who are planning special bus trips up to the race meeting.
“Mahara Gallery in Waikanae has been awarded $8000 for a multi-media exhibition including carving, painting, sculpture, film, music and photography that will run during the RWC period.
“It’s great that these events will provide a real local focus during the tournament. I expect other local organisations will also want to be a part of the biggest international event ever hosted in New Zealand’s history.
“Around 85,000 international visitors are expected in New Zealand later this year for the Rugby World Cup. Many visitors will be passing through our region on their way to games in Wellington and Palmerston North, so it’s important we give them lots of reasons to stop off.
“This funding will also help everyone in the community feel a part of the Rugby World Cup, whether or not they have tickets.
“In total, the NZ 2011 Festival Lottery Fund Committee had nearly $9.5 million to allocate to 175 events across the country, using the proceeds of lotteries games such as Lotto and Instant Kiwi. Committee members had to make some tough decisions with 570 applications received seeking over $72 million in funding.
“The range of successful events and activities is enormous. Concerts, festivals, exhibitions, and sports competitions from every corner of New Zealand are included.”
A full list of successful programmes is available at: http://www.nz2011.govt.nz/news/april-2011/nz-2011-festival-funding-announced