Council was going to hold its March meeting in Bedgerabong – part of a bid to take council meetings out to the rest of the shire. 

But the meeting coincided with the promised presentation of the auditor’s report to Council on music festival Vanfest and General Manager Steve Loane asked councillors to consider moving that meeting to Forbes.

“As this is a major community interest and because of the considerable community debate it was felt that the meeting should be convened in Forbes to allow as many community members to attend,” he said.

Councillors also considered whether the meeting should be moved to the Town Hall. 

Mayor Graeme Miller said the Council had accommodated big galleries before. 

Council’s auditors will be presenting a report on the music festival’s 2017 financial results for Council as well as its forecast benefit to the community.

Forbes Shire Council is one year into a three-year lease arrangement. 

Councillor considered moving the Bedgerabong meeting to April, but Bedgerabong-based Councillor Jenny Webb said that would fall in school holidays, when not as many people could attend.

Councillors received a quarterly budget review at their February meeting and asked about Vanfest expenses.

They were told those figures would be included in the next quarterly review as they hadn’t been finalised at December 31 when the last review period ended. 

Read more: Hundreds tune in to Vanfest public meeting.