Changes are coming for many of the Snowy Valley’s Section 355 Committees, with official moves to dissolve “all community committees that are not responsible for the management of a council facility.”
That would include the Batlow Development League (BDL), which runs the annual Ciderfest and Batlow Apple Blossom Festival. Committee members are discussing their future, but say they feel positive so far.
Chair Ray Billing said the administrative requirements for 355 Committees have been getting increasingly demanding, and the BDL might benefit from becoming a standalone incorporation.
“We’re about to look at the ins and outs of being incorporated and how the council can help us,” said Mr Billing.
“I think everyone was fairly positive. It gives us more flexibility because the guidelines around 355 committees are becoming more restrictive and we need a bit more flexibility especially around running events.”
In the past, high insurance costs for non-profit organisations made it necessary for many community groups to find shelter under the local council’s policies. Mr Billing said many groups became 355 committees just to find some financial relief from premiums. Now that insurance prices have levelled out, he said it’s more achievable for the BDL to stand on its own.
“Our fundraising will stay about the same really,” he said. “Council gives the festival some support, but the BDL doesn’t get any financial support from the council. It will depend a little bit on how we restructure, but the two festivals run at a small profit, so we have enough money in the bank to basically run one event, so that’s our safety margin for one year.”
The overall scheme of the festivals’ budgets, Mr Billing said insurance premiums would be a relatively small cost.
“Obviously costs will go up a bit with having to pay insurance, but they’re pretty big budgets already. When you get a couple of toilet trucks, there’s $6-7000.”
By incorporating as a non-profit, the BDL will avoid some of the ‘difficulties’ associated with being a 355 committee, which has made it hard for the group to deal with ABN requirements, bank accounts and approvals for administrative decisions and fees.
“At this point in time, the council has given us papers and opportunities to discuss the pros and cons,” he said. “They showed us what restrictions are being placed on them by state government legislation and then onto the committees. In that regard, they’ve been quite helpful and they’re promising to be quite helpful in going through that process.”
Mr Billing was hopeful that the SVC’s support would continue as the BDL starts the transition into independence.
Overall, the committee has been functioning well, with all 12 board members re-elected to their positions at the recent AGM. Mr Billing said that despite the difficulties Batlow has faced in 2020 with the fires and Covid, commitment within the community remains strong and the two festivals are on track for their regular dates in 2021.
“It’s been a tough year for everyone, everyone’s looking for 2021,” he said. “People are tired, but they’re still involved. Across the community as a whole, all the groups, there’s probably a greater level of involvement [since the fires].”
Ciderfest is scheduled for May 2021 and the Batlow Apple Blossom Festival will be held on the first Saturday of October, depending on the state of the Covid pandemic and restrictions at that time.
“Hopefully that will be resolved by that stage,” said Mr Billing.
“We’re not putting on the brakes at this stage.”
