Lane Cove Council has released to In the Cove detailed cost and attendance figures to defend its decision to cancel the Lane Cove Food and Wine by the River, as locals criticise the cancellation taking place without any prior public consultation.
At a Glance
- Average annual cost: around $50,000 a year between 2023 and 2025, not including staff time.
- Share of budget: the festival made up 40% of Council’s entire Civic Events budget.
- Attendance swings: 5,000 in 2022, down to 1,500 in a wet 2023, up to 4,000 in 2024, then back to 2,300 in 2025 despite fine weather (see table below).
- Cost per head: $11 to $37, compared with around $5 for the Christmas Tree Lighting and $2 for the Rotary Fair and Sustainability Lane.
- No public consultation: the decision followed an internal budget review, with no community feedback sought beforehand.
Lane Cove Council confirmed the event cost roughly $50,000 a year on average between 2023 and 2025. This figure does not include staff time spent attending the event.
The event made up 40% of Lane Cove Council’s entire Civic Events budget.
“Food & Wine by the River has been a successful and well-loved event, supported by significant staff effort. The event had a successful period in Lane Cove’s events program. At the time it was established, it responded well to community expectations and Council priorities and provided a distinctive adult-focused event. The recommendation to discontinue the event should not diminish that success or the considerable work of staff involved in its delivery.
However, community needs and Council priorities change. The recommendation arose from a broader review of Council’s events program which considered how limited financial and staff resources could be directed to activities delivering the greatest community, cultural and economic benefit.”
Lane Cove Council
Attendances Dropped
Lane Cove Council also pointed out that attendance went from 5,000 in 2022 down to 1,500 in a wet 2023, up to 4,000 in 2024, then back down to 2,300 in 2025 despite fine weather.
| Year | Attendance | Weather |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,000 | Fine |
| 2023 | 1,500 | Wet |
| 2024 | 4,000 | Fine |
| 2025 | 2,300 | Fine |
Lane Cove Council Food and Wine by the River Cost Per Head
The cost per head ranged from about $11 to $37, against roughly $5 for the Christmas Tree Lighting and $2 for the Lane Cove Rotary Fair and Sustainability Lane.
An external Event and Project Management team managed vendor and winery relationships and on-site bookings, with their fee forming a large share of Lane Cove Council’s costs.
Lane Cove Council staff still handled on-the-day support. A spokesperson said Council “does not have the human resourcing to run the entire event on its own.”
Mudgee Wine Grape Growers Association (Mudgee Wine) paid a fixed sponsorship fee. All revenue from the sale of wine tasting tickets stayed with Mudgee Wine.
Lane Cove Council said the decision reflected a cumulative review of cost, staffing, participation, accessibility, local economic benefit and duplication and pointed to a demographic shift toward more young families as a reason to redirect resources.
Lane Cove Council does not carry insurance against lost expenditure on poor weather days (cover applies only where a storm creates a safety risk). However, they stressed that weather wasn’t a specific factor in the decision.
Locals Ask Why They Were Not Consulted
Lane Cove Food and Wine by the River Festival had built a loyal following as a Lane Cove Council event aimed squarely at adults, and the criticism since the cancellation was first reported centres less on the dollar figures than on Council’s lack of consultation.
Comments made on Lane Cove Chat by ITC included:
“This is very disappointing. Considering there are now so many units within walking distance of the festival.”
“Who makes these decisions??”
“It was a great opportunity to meet neighbours and friends and support rural communities and small businesses.”
“There is not enough parking at the canopy for these events.”
“The location by the water was perfect.”
“What a disappointing decision. My family and I have attended the event every year. Can I suggest to Council that moving it back to Tambourine Bay reserve would reduce the need for buses to and from the event and cut costs.”
“It is disappointing. I thought it was so lovely to have something other than a children’s movie in my neck of the woods! I guess it all happens in the Canopy.”
“Very disappointing from Lane Cove Council. A great community event and should have been continued. Would like to understand why and see if this is a temporary measure only.”
“Really disappointed to see Food & Wine by the River has been scrapped. This was one of those genuinely great Lane Cove events, a beautiful location, local community, visitors from outside the area, wineries and producers, food, music and a really lovely atmosphere. It felt like an event for adults and families alike, and something a little different from the usual community calendar.”
Internal Budget Review
Lane Cove Council made the decision after an internal budget review, with no public feedback sought, in contrast to the consultation residents are used to seeing on planning matters and Council policies.
In the Cove has reviewed the Have Your Say section of the Lane Cove Council website, and the issues where Lane Cove Council consults the public have been limited to planning, traffic and strategic planning policies.
How To Raise Lack of Consulation with Lane Cove Council
If you would like to make representations to the Lane Cove Council about the cancelling of this event, you can attend a public forum. You are permitted to speak for three minutes. The next public forum will be on 19th October 2026.
You can read the Lane Cove Council’s Event Management Policy (Adopted August 2026) after public exhibition here.
The draft Events Management Policy was placed on public exhibition from 24 June to 21 July 2026. The draft Policy was exhibited for a four-week period and promoted through Council’s website and community engagement platform.
One submission was received. The submitter requested that balloons and political-related stalls not be permitted at Council events.
The Lane Cove Community Strategic Plan which guides all council’s decisions specifically includes the following:
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