The Queenscliff Music Festival is in its healthiest financial position ever, after posting an impressive $112,000 profit from last year's event.

​The outcome has boosted the organisation’s bank balance to almost $500,000 – enough to withstand two poor years, according to Director Andrew Orvis. 

The figures, revealed at the recent Annual General Meeting, mark a striking turnaround for the event, which this year celebrates it’s 20th year. 

“The profit is down on last year, but up on our what we budgeted for and is still a fantastic result. It also went against a long trend of profit, loss, profit, loss etcetera,”said Mr Orvis. “To finally get two good financial results in a row is a big help for the future of QMF.

“We’re certainly in a better financial position than we’ve been, but it was only two years ago we were at serious risk after a $236,000 loss that severely depleted our reserves. Of course we don’t plan for the bad ones, but our history tells us they can happen, so we need to be conservative in our approach.

More than 14,300 patrons attended the 2015 fest, slightly down on the previous year. Sunday was again a sell-out. 

Most of the tickets were purchased ahead of the event. 

The organisation’s key aim was to encourage festival goers to buy into a full weekend “Queenscliff experience,” Mr Orvis told the AGM. 

However it continues to be challenged by competition from other events and a critical lack of storage space, preventing it from investing in its own infrastructure. 

“As festivals like Port Fairy and Meredith and others have done over the years, we need to push to have people buying their ticket for the Queenscliff experience, not just for a few good headline bands but for the experience as a whole. I think we’re nearly there and our Early Bird tickets this year are about three percent up on the same time last year so I think that’s proof that people are trusting what we do and know what we’re about,” he said. 

 “We continue to lead the way as a contemporary music festival that is family friendly, which is very important to us, with a diverse and exciting program. We pride ourselves on discovering artists that many in turn our audiences discover at the festival as well. 

“As we move forward over the next 20 years it’s important that we remember where we came from and what we’re all about. I’m a huge fan of promoting the idea that the biggest seller for QMF is Queenscliff, it’s what makes us unique. 

“No matter how good a program I could put together each year, the main thing that will get people coming back to QMF is our town and our community.” 
​
“In 20 years time when we celebrate our 40th, I’d really love to think that we’re still striving for the same three key things, excellence, discovery and community spirit, which we were striving for in 1987.”
​

Local architects are being encouraged to pitch their designs for the new Point Lonsdale Surf Life Saving Clubhouse.

After years of delays the club has finally reached a position where it can call for tenders for the much anticipated $3m to $3.5m project. 

The submission brief, released in recent days, calls for a “multi-disciplinary design team” to deliver a facility that meets both club and community requirements. 

“At this stage it is anticipated that the current buildings have limited future value and will therefore be demolished to make way for a new building(s),” the document states. 

The successful design must provide flexibility to adapt to the future requirements of lifesaving and patrol activities and social functions, provide a “welcoming and attractive environment to enhance the sense of club community” and “contribute positively to the Point Lonsdale community and coastal environment.”

It must also incorporate sustainable design principles and deliver a practical, enduring building that will minimise life-cycle costs. 
​
The existing club house occupies two parcels of land – one (approximately 880m2) is owned by the club. The Borough of Queenscliffe recently handed over its title to the second lot (approximately 600m2) for a nominal fee of one dollar. 
​

FOOTBALL – Star recruit Kaden Newton is back in the Queenscliff line-up after taking a week on the sidelines to run a 60km marathon. 

The speedy mid-fielder sat out the Couta’s round ... clash with Drysdale to contest the grueling Great Ocean Road run, to help raise funds research into Cystic Fibrosis (CF). 

Newton’s infant nephew Lakyn was diagnosed with the genetic disease as a baby. Newton set a pre-race target of $2,000 but to date has raised more than $5,500.

“The support has been overwhelming. I didn’t know what sort of figure to put on it and I’m definitely pleased with the result. 

"My nephew’s got the illness and there’s not much I can do to help apart from support my sister and family. Doing the run was one way of helping with the bigger picture," he said. 

He completed thre course in a time of 5.43.34, finishing fourth in his category and crossing the line 25th overall. 

The first half of the race was really nice but then the wind and the rain started coming at around the 35k mark, which made a pretty tough battle for the last couple of hours. 

Cystic Fibrosis is the most common, genetically acquired, chronic illness affecting young Australians. .

Donations can still be made on Newton’s fundraiser page: http://thegreatoceanroadmarathon2016.gofundraise.com.au/page/KadenNewton

A group of prominent locals has stepped up pressure on the Borough of Queenscliffe to support a National Heritage Listing for the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Reserve.

An open letter published in the June edition of The Rip argues the site - the home of William Buckley's cave -  boasts the necessary attributes assets to sit on the Heritage Register.

Signatories  include ex Australian Heritage Council Chair Tom Harley, former state government MP Garry Spry and Geelong National Trust member Jennifer Bantow OAM.

The letter reveals a secret committee of locals has been lobbying both state and federal governments over the reserve's inclusion for close to two years. 

“It is encouraging and appropriate that the Australian Government now acknowledges the natural and built heritage assets in the Borough of Queenscliffe rank alongside the 106 existing National Heritage sites,” it states.  
​
“It is the Environment Minister who ultimately determines whether a place should be included on the Register. Therefore Minister Hunt’s open support is a welcome first step in a process, which may be complex and protracted.

“We believe this is the time to agree on a vision and strategy for this remarkable part of Australia. We now call on the Queenscliffe Council, as the responsible management authority for many of the Borough’s heritage places, to start the community engagement process for National Heritage listing.” 

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt threw his support behind the reserve's inclusion on the Register  during a pre-election visit to Point Lonsdale on May 10.  

“We listed Broken Hill as the first town on the National Heritage List and if you want to do the same thing here I would take that forward," he said.

“We will work with the Borough of Queenscliffe, local residents and community groups in the design of the project.”

Labor Corangamite candidate Libby Coker has indicated she too would support the listing, but only after extensive community consultation. 

“We would consider heritage listing of the Point Lonsdale lighthouse but we would need to explore it more with the community and the Council and all stakeholders before committing to that,” she said. 

“Certainly it would be interesting in exploring a heritage listing… it is a significant and historic and iconic lighthouse, but I’m not an expert and I know in order to get this sort of work there are a lot of steps to go through and you would have to be able to manage the maintenance of the site, so there is a discussion that you have to go through.” 

Bellarine MP Lisa Neville provided a more cautious response: “It is a very new process that the Federal Government used in Broken Hill.  It has some positives and negatives and would need to involve consultation with the local community, the Borough and the Victorian Government (as it is crown land),” she said.   

“In the meantime, the Andrews Government  is in current negotiations with the council to provide financial assistance to undertake works at the Reserve to improve the amenity of the area as per the final master plan agreed by the community.  It would be great to see the Federal Government support that work.”

However Queenscliffe CEO Lenny Jenner said a heritage listing was not on Council’s agenda. 

“Council has not considered heritage listing of sites or localities within the borough of Queenscliffe and this is not an existing Council Plan priority. These matters have not been formally raised with the Council by any state or federal government representative,” he said.

The National Heritage Council assesses whether a place is worthy of a National Heritage Listing. It must  have outstanding natural, Indigenous or historic heritage value to the nation. 

The Environment Minister has the ultimate say on which sites make the list.

Approval means the heritage values of the location are protected under national environmental and heritage law.

On the surface, the Point Lonsdale Lighthouse Reserve appears to be a suitable candidate. It is the location of William Buckley's cave - the so called "Father or Reconciliation" between aborigines and white settlers. It also boasts significant maritime and military history.