Organisers of Cronulla’s popular Endless Summer Festival have announced the cancellation of this year’s event, which was set to go down next month, citing a “last minute decision” by the local Sutherland Shire Council to cut crucial funding to the event.

“It’s with regret that I confirm we’re unable to proceed with staging the 2014 Endless Summer Festival. Without warning, Sutherland Shire Council has pulled $50,000 in sponsorship funds, and as a direct result we are unable to proceed with staging the event,” said festival event founder and director Mario Kalpou in a statement.

“Charities, who were relying on the event to raise funds for them, and local schools participating in the arts photo competition, will be left in the lurch as a result of the council cutting the event funding,” a statement from organisers alleged.

According to the St George & Sutherland Shire Leader, the council responded earlier today saying that while they were keen to see such events run, they were forced to prioritise grant requests from community organisations over “for profit” events like Endless Summer.

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Mr Kalpou expressed disappointment in the “eleventh hour” actions of the council, saying, “The event is a free community event, not ticketed, and there is no way this close to the event launching that we can hope to make up a $50,000 budget shortfall. It is devastating.”

“If it had happened earlier in the year I could have found another sponsor and the event would have proceeded. But with the council doing this so last minute I am unable to fill such a big hole in the budget,” added Kalpou.

“I personally have committed hundreds of hours, employed staff since the beginning of the year and garnered a lot of support from local businesses and other sponsors. A lot of people are going to be disappointed.”

Sutherland Shire Council told the Leader that organisers had requested $150,000 to fund Endless Summer 2014. “From that request, the event organisers were asked to provide further information on the expenditure of council’s sponsorship of $50,000 for the inaugural Endless Summer event in 2013 and how the request for $150,000 funding for the 2014 event would be spent.”

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A council spokeswoman said that after receiving further information, council decided to offer Endless Summer organisers “$15,000 in kind support to provide waste removal, litter collection and toilet cleaning at Gunnamatta Park”.

“While the council is keen to see events run in the shire, it is very conscious of spending ratepayers’ money wisely and prioritises grant requests from community organisations over ‘for profit’ events such as Endless Summer,” the spokeswoman said.

In his statement, Mr Kalpou called last year’s event, which featured a lineup including The Preatures and Bluejuice, a “huge success” attracting crowds in excess of 50,000 across three days. He added that this year’s event was set to be even bigger with “international acts joining top Aussie bands” and an expected attendance of 60,000.

“We are, however, already making plans for the 2015 event. I refuse to let them ruin the spirit of what was such an awesome free community event. I love the Cronulla region. It’s where I live and run a business, which is why I was so happy to bring the Endless Summer Festival to the area. We’ll be back even bigger and better next year.”

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