Funding supports Queenstown Lakes District events having a focus on environmental sustainability

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) approved $287,000 for events funding at its meeting held end June and adopted a district Events Policy at the same time.

The funding was awarded as part of the annual contestable Events Fund 2025-2026 which goes toward attracting and supporting sports, arts, cultural and community events across the district.

The funding criteria supports events that are committed to environmental sustainability, economic impact, event diversity, and positive community benefits.

Councillor Craig Ferguson, chair of the QLDC Events Funding Panel, said it was heartening to provide support to a range of commercial and community events that celebrate the district and boost community wellbeing.

Ferguson advised “we’ve been able to award grants to 18 events which will take place across the district including the Queenstown Multicultural Festival, Central Lakes Polyfest, NZ Mountain Film Festival, Challenge Wānaka Festival, Arrowtown Autumn Festival and Wānaka A&P Show.

“This year we’ve focused on events’ environmental sustainability and prioritised funding for applicants that are taking steps toward better waste reduction and the minimisation of carbon emissions.”

As well as the yearly funding round, QLDC continues to provide ongoing support for community events through local support grant programmes. Over the past year more than 140 events were supported through in-kind services such as use of Council venues, reserves, equipment and waiving permitting fees.

QLDC’s Events Funding Panel, which consisted of councillors Craig Ferguson, Quentin Smith, Matt Wong and Barry Bruce, considered the applications in late May.

Ferguson added “It is never easy for the panel to step through the applications. Every year we see the increased demand for support from QLDC so we would like to sincerely thank all of those who applied for funding assistance.”

New QLDC Events Policy
Councillor Ferguson says the new QLDC Events Policy will help guide event organisers and staff to make decisions based on what the community want to see from events in the district.

Ferguson shared “during the policy engagement we heard how events are highly valued in our district as they contribute to the economic, social and cultural vitality of the area, and reinforce our community identity.

“This new policy reflects the community’s expectations of events such as reducing event waste and carbon emissions and managing the impacts events have on community experience, both positive and negative.”

There are eight objectives that have been developed and embedded in the policy to ensure events held in the Queenstown Lakes District support wellbeing in the community and key strategies. These are mapped to the QLDC Wellbeing Framework. Future procedures, decision-making and funding criteria will be based around these objectives.

Full details of the fund recipients can be viewed on the Council’s website 

To view the QLDC Event Policy