By Alesha Capone
Wyndham councillor Heather Marcus says that a flower festival should become the municipality’s annual signature event, although another councillor wants to bring back Weerema.
The council passed a motion put forward by Cr Marcus last week (Tuesday, November 30) to prepare a business case into staging a Wyndham Flower Festival event.
The council will consider the business case, which will outline a potential budget and resourcing plan, in February 2022.
Cr Marcus said she would like to see the festival go ahead in spring, to bring some cheer and colour to the community, much like the Chang Rai Flower Festival in Thailand and Holland Flower Festival.
She suggested a parade of flower floats down Watton Street, along with entertainment and business participation.
Cr Marcus said all the flowers could be made out of crepe paper by cultural groups and residents of retirement villages and nursing homes.
However, Cr Marcel Mahfoud said Wyndham was not known for flowers.
He said that instead, the council could look into doing a festival that pays tribute to the Werribee South market gardeners.
As well, he said there was already a festival celebrating the State Rose Garden in Werribee South every year.
Cr Mahfoud also said the council should throw its support behind the Weerama festival, which has been running for more than 50 years.
“Weerama needs to come back,” he said.
However, Cr Susan McIntyre said she held “grave concerns” about whether a flower festival was suited to Wyndham.
“We’re Melbourne’s food bowl, not Melbourne’s flower basket,” she said.
Cr Adele Hegedich suggested that if the flower festival went ahead, broccoli and florettes could be used to make statues.
Cr Josh Gilligan said he supported the idea of preparing a business case for a flower festival, but not investing in Weerama.
“I the case of Weerama, I’m pretty sure it’s fair to say it was a complete failure near the end,” he said.
“That project is absolutely dead, buried and cremated and will ever see the light of day again.”
Cr Marcus said the flower festival was likely to proceed, “because I will make sure it goes ahead”.
