General News
29 May, 2024
Council split over level of support for Mount Isa Rodeo
The council will sponsor the annual rodeo, but it sparked debate in the chambers.
Balancing a section of the community’s concerns over the cost of the annual Mount Isa Rodeo and supporting the city’s most iconic event proved to be a talking point at last week’s council meeting.
Mount Isa City Council was asked to sponsor both the Mount Isa Rodeo and the Indigenous Rodeo Championships through both in-kind support and cash donations.
Councillors were split over both, which were put to individual motions.
The council agreed to provide $92,000 worth of in-kind support for the three-day Mount Isa Rodeo, but knocked back the chance to provide $40,000 to be a platinum sponsor.
“I just think it’s getting more and more expensive,” said deputy mayor Kim Coghlan.
“I think they need to look at how they can run this event more efficiently and not impact the people that live in Mount Isa that do want to go to the rodeo and they’ve just priced them out of the market.”
Those thoughts were echoed by councillor Dan Ballard.
“Each year we see the cost of admission to the Mount Isa Rodeo increase and, coupled with the current cost of living pressures, it is becoming increasingly unaffordable for the residents,” he said.
In the motion to provide support for the Indigenous Rodeo Championships, councillors were once again split over the level of support that should be given to the event.
Cr Ballard left the room due to a conflict of interest – he is the vice president of the Mount Isa Race Club which has its biggest event of the year, the Mailman Express, on the same night as the Indigenous Rodeo Championships – which meant mayor Peta MacRae had to use her casting vote to determine the outcome.
With the chamber split 3-3, Mayor MacRae opted to support the Indigenous Rodeo Championships with $20,000 in funding to go with the council’s in-kind sponsorship of venue hire.
“A lot of people travelled specifically for the Indigenous rodeo so I think there’s room to have both,” she said.