Fee free incentive introduced for community events


Council's Tourism and Events unit has introduced a fee-free incentive for qualifying events within Port Stephens.

To support efforts from members of the community to plan and deliver successful events, and recognise the valuable contribution of community events to the region, Port Stephens Council will waive administration and site fees for events that meet the criteria.

The groups or associations that may qualify for the fee free incentive include not for profit groups, schools, churches, cultural societies, sports groups, neighbourhood associations, community groups and registered charities, and these groups must be located in or conduct the majority of their operations within Port Stephens.

Tourism and Events Coordinator Kim Latham said the fee free incentive is part of Council's efforts to promote and support community events.

"Council values the support and contributions our local not for profit groups and associations bring to our community", she said.

"Events are a fantastic way to engage with members and the wider community, raise funds and generally promote a group's activities.

"We also understand that some of our local groups and associations are volunteer based with little or no resources or experience in event management and delivery and our friendly Tourism and Events team are here to help", Ms Latham said.

As part of Port Stephens Council's commitment to Tourism and the Visitor Economy, an event 'toolkit' has been developed, which provides information, guidelines and support for all events, big or small.

"We've developed this toolkit to make understanding around all events simple", said Ms Latham.

"The prospect of staging a public event in Port Stephens may seem daunting, but the toolkit aims to show people there are just a few simple steps to seeing your vision through to fruition.

"It's all about supporting the community and events that have potential to grow, attract visitors from outside our region and promote Port Stephens as a destination."

For more information visit Port Stephens Council