R IP Weerama. While I have heard the committee is already working on the 2016 festival, I think they’re wasting their time and ratepayers’ money. Weerama has a history dating back to 1978, and at its height it ran for 10 days.
That’s unbelievable when you think about it. There’s no longer a Werribee council and the City of Wyndham is a different entity to the one that hosted the festival decades ago.
Much like the Werribee Cup, it has lost its importance to the community. Many different incarnations have been tried, including moving out of the CBD to the racecourse, which was not successful.
Here are some questions that need to be asked and answered.
Do the traders in the CBD want it? Should the CBD traders have that big a say in the festival’s future?
Is the whole premise of a community festival, based on the needs and wants of 20 or 30 years ago, still relevant today?
Could the money from the council be spent more productively in other areas?
Related: Weerama festival cancelled after 40 years
Here’s my 20 cents worth. Weerama is past its use-by date and is not relevant to the population of Wyndham in its current form.
It was a little brother to Moomba and that was its genesis, but these days floats coming down the main street need to be more impressive than those served up in recent years. Food and craft markets have stolen a big part of the uniqueness of events like this and traders are either for it or against it … there seems to be little middle ground.
Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the time and effort required to make it worthwhile.
People now expect bigger and better spectacles and Weerama never reached those heights. That’s not a criticism but a simple fact.
I’m keen to hear your thoughts and those of the CBD traders.
I feel for Gerry Greenwood and others like him who worked their butts off on this over the years … they’ll be sad at the demise of the festival. I take no delight in saying farewell, but I think it’s time. Your thoughts, as usual, are welcome.
■ If you have any news or events, let me know at kevin@howdypartnersmedia.com.au
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