Wellington Fashion Week organiser says he will repay council money

The man behind Wellington's defunct fashion week says he will pay back sponsorship money from Wellington City Council, while putting the blame for the event's failure on a lack of council investment.

The city council revealed last week that it was chasing Cameron Sneddon for $50,000 after 2015's fashion week was cancelled, and it had become clear there would be no show this year either.

Sneddon said on Sunday that Wellington Fashion Week Ltd would pay back "any monies required as per the agreement", and said that agreement was being reviewed by a legal team.

The first Wellington Fashion Week was given $8000 in funding from council, from an initial $100,000 proposal to support it, he said.

In 2013, it was given $10,000 from the council, and in 2014 secured $50,000 to be spent across three years. This came after a $120,000 proposal was presented to the council, addressing the event's concerns and desperate need for sustainability.

Other similar events in New Zealand received between $150,000 and $225,000 a year from their city councils in sponsorship, Sneddon said.

He believed the event was on a solid road to becoming great, but there was a "huge lack of funding to support the execution".

He said he did not draw a wage, and found himself personally contributing to cover expenses, in the hope that funding would one day improve.

"Celia Wade-Brown promised Wellington's events to not just be surviving, but thriving. That is far from this experience working with the council's events team to establish, support and grow this event, and I don't think I would be alone in saying this."

A council spokesman said the amount given to Sneddon was a "more than adequate" contribution from ratepayers.

"In 2014 he managed to run a successful fashion week with a similar amount of council money."

He said it was expected Sneddon would have sought other sponsors to help get the event "across the line".

Council staff were keen for Sneddon to get in touch. "We would be quite interested in talking to him directly, just about our outstanding $50,000 and the payment plan we are eager to pursue with him."

Sneddon said on Sunday that he had responded to an email from council on Thursday, but was yet to hear back.Read more at:formal dresses | evening dresses