The development of the new strategy follows the council’s decision last year to cancel the Fun4Kids festival that had absorbed a large part of the council’s  for events.

The council’s visitor economy manager David McMahon said the new strategy would allow money reallocated from Fun4Kids to be allocated on a proactive rather than reactive basis, ensure the investment was strategic and long-term and deliver good returns for the Warrnambool community.

Those returns could not only be economic benefits but could also be community benefits, Mr McMahon said.

A big push by the strategy was for the council to partner with community organisations to support events, he said.

Scores of Warrnambool community organisations and businesses were consulted in the development of the strategy, Mr McMahon said.

Another aspect of the new strategy calls for the council to establish an event control group in the council that would give community groups a single point of contact for their organisation of events.

Cr David Owen said the strategy included a move for the council to support one major event and four significant events. He urged community groups to get their applications in quickly for council support for their events.

Cr Tony Herbert said the strategy empowered people to stage events. Successful events created successful economies, he said.

Cr Michael Neoh said it was important for the council to invest in events equitably.