Seven Towns to receive Tour funds

Council allocates $75,000 to Clare Valley Breakaway festival.

Seven Clare and Gilbert Valleys towns will receive $1000 each to
dress up their towns when the Tour Down Under comes to the region in
January.
The Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council has allocated $75,000 to support
the Clare Valley Breakaway festival which will see a series of
programs developed throughout the district to celebrate the international
cycling race.
Councillors agreed with the name of the festival at their September 21
meeting, which trades on the strong regional branding of the Clare Valley,
which is well known overseas and interstate as well as within South
Australia.
The Clare Valley is also prominent in the naming, branding and regional
identity of local producers ranging from the wine industry to egg producers,
Clare Valley Tourism Marketing and Clare Valley Cuisine.
The regional towns on the TDU route and which will receive the
$1000 funding are Tarlee, Riverton, Saddleworth, Auburn, Watervale
(including Leasingham), Sevenhill (including Penwortham) and Clare.
Each town’s peak body will be in charge of its own program of events
and will have to provide an acquittal report to the council to describe how
the funds were employed.
Because the council needed to find a minimum of $15,000 in sponsorship
to help stage the event and fund its participation, sponsorship packages
have been designed to allow business involvement.
Clare-based international business Expanda Stand owners Peter
and Veronica Eaton have taken out the only Platinum sponsorship package
available, donating $15,000 to the event.
A limit of 10 gold sponsorships are available at $5000 each, 15 Silver at
$2500 and unlimited number of Bronze sponsorship packages at $1000 each.
Clare Valley towns are already well into the planning stages of their
individual events, with Tarlee billing itself as the best place to take photos
on their sweeping ‘S’ bend to Kapunda, and Clare planning a street party.