General News
14 December, 2023
Gift gives economic boost
THE first Mortlake Gift provided a huge jump in spending for the town, the latest Spendmapp data shows.
Compared to the same weekend in 2022, there was an increase of 107 per cent in local spending during the Mortlake Gift weekend of October 14-15.
In 2022, there was a total of $45,704 spent across the weekend of October 15-16 in the town.
In 2023 Spendmapp reported spending of $94,807 in Mortlake across the gift weekend, an increase of $49,103.
Moyne Shire mayor Ian Smith said the data highlighted the importance of events for local communities.
“Moyne Shire was proud to support the inaugural Mortlake Gift with a grant from its Festival and Events Fund,” he said.
“We see the positives that events bring to our towns, attracting visitors and delivering measurable economic benefits.
“This increase in spending equals extra money in local businesses which in turn support local jobs.
“We applaud the gift organisers and all the volunteers who helped make the first Mortlake Gift such a great event, and we’d love to see the gift return in 2024, we know there’s a lot of community support for events like this.”
