20 February 2019
Auckland Council’s event agency ATEED will not be funding the Santa Parade from now on.
They say it is a community event and yet they will continue to fund other community festivals like Auckland Diwali
Festival ($93,000 last year) Auckland Lantern Festival ($250,000 last year) and Pasifica ($350,000 last year.) ATEED
also plays a delivery role in these events which impose additional costs.
ATEED’s funding of the Santa Parade was $45,000 with no other delivery or risks.
Chairman of the Auckland Children’s Christmas Parade Trust, Michael Barnett, expressed frustration that ATEED had made
this decision and believes most ratepayers would support the Parade which is a national and iconic event that Auckland
has hosted for 85 years.
We have very generous support from Farmers as the naming sponsor and other Auckland businesses, but the support from
ATEED on behalf of the Council, helps retain the quality of what we do and balances the budget.
ends