THE annual Newton's Nation downhill festival at Mount Panorama is being pushed to become a self-sufficient event as Bathurst Regional Council looks set to deny a request for further financial support.
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Event organisers have written to council seeking to have more than $20,000 worth of venue hire and cleaning fees waived for the 2020 event, scheduled for March 26-29.
The request included waiving $12,360 for the three-day hire of part of the Mount Panorama circuit; $1597 for the hire of a street sweeper; and $1400 for the delivery and daily pick-up of 30 Otto bins.
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But a report to Wednesday night's meeting by corporate services and finance director Aaron Jones recommends councillors reject the plea, saying council was already supporting the 2020 event.
"Council has previously supported this event in 2017, 2018 and 2019," the report stated.
"Council has waived the venue hire and cleaning charges associated with these events, either in full or in part.
"Council has also approved a Section 356 Donation of $15,000 for the 2020 event.
"Accordingly, given council's previous financial support for the event, and the need for the event to become financially self-sufficient, it is the recommendation of this report that council not provide financial assistance towards the venue hire and cleaning charges for 2020."
Newton's Nation is a downhill skating and luge event that sees competitors race from Brock's Skyline at the top of Mount Panorama through to Conrod Straight.
Doubling as a round of the International Downhill Federation's World Cup, last year's event attracted more than 100 of the world's top skateboarders from 17 countries.
