Council approves $10,000 seed grant for Converge Esperance after split debate

The Shire of Esperance council voted to provide $10,000 in seed funding to Converge Esperance 2024 after an extended debate at its August ordinary meeting.

Councillor Deas moved the amendment to the officer's recommendation, urging fellow councillors to support local businesses and citing examples of speakers and workshops planned for the event. “This will allow those businesses to network, to listen to other speakers and to start to build networks outside of Esperance,” the mover said in support of the allocation.

Councillor Flanigan opposed the allocation on the grounds that the application did not demonstrate how the event would tangibly benefit local businesses or attract visitors: “There’s not anything tangible here like grant funding for me … I saw nothing that would indicate it was bringing people into Esperance,” she said. Councillor Johnson likewise said the application lacked clear measurable outcomes and suggested the officer-recommended figure was more appropriate.

Supporters argued the event aligns with council economic development strategies and pointed to registrations already received from outside the Shire and planned workshops with regional bodies. The mover said some speakers were staying extra nights and that the event included workshops with local and regional partners.

After debate the chair announced the motion carried (the transcript records the announcement as “42”). The council’s minutes record that the motion passed and that councillors debated both the strategic rationale and proportionality of the seed funding allocation.

The decision directs the Shire to allocate the $10,000 from the event seed funding budget and encourages the Converge Esperance organisers to pursue further community-grants support for future years. The motion does not specify additional reporting requirements or performance metrics; councillors debated the sufficiency of reporting and measurable outcomes during the meeting.