Des Schroder
After a long career in State and Local Government at Director level I retired in 2021. The Director roles always involved major community consultation in sometimes controversial areas like planning. But since retiring I've devoted a lot of my time to community now on four diverse community committees/ boards in school education, university education, a church parish council and importantly to this conference Vice President for the long running Jacaranda Festival a role I have held for 4 years.
The festival ran by 8 community volunteers is still 'shing bright' in its 93rd year - originating to bring some joy after the Great Depression. The festival celebrating the purple flowering in late October of the 1,700 Jacaranda trees planted in the late 1800's. The festival is huge running over. 3 weeks and has 26 main events - with over 100,000 attending - 44000 of those tourists as verified by credit card expenditure. The festival adds around $7 million to business turnover and creates around thirty jobs.
The festival relies on a 'purple army' of volunteers and has major local business sponsorship of each event. The whole community is involved from the youngest kid to the oldest senior citizen, this sometimes-crazy festival thrives on its community diversity and is lots of fun.
The festival has lead up events which run all year through its major youth development program of candidates with numerous fund raisers from February.
In recent years like across the nation due to a decline in volunteers the festival has turned more to corporate help and developed closer input from local businesses - notable amongst these the large correction centre - Serco now contributing hundreds of hours by staff on a volunteer basis and prisoners for setup. Ongoing increases in regulatory costs creates major ongoing challenges.
The festival prides itself as a unifying voice for whole the Grafton community. A point noted by Kerry and Chad during last year's conference at Grafton.
