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Mother Nature has intervened in UQU’s much-anticipated annual TOGA party, which was scheduled to take place today but has officially been cancelled due to poor weather conditions. The overnight rain, which has continued through the day, has rendered the party’s venue (The Great Court at UQ’s St Lucia campus) completely unusable.
Speaking with the contractors on sight, it seems several marquee frames had buckled under the weight of the rainwater collected on the roofs from the overnight rainfall. The aftermath has been a series of twisted metal frames that are visibly unusable. The ground is waterlogged, making the venue a safety hazard and representing an additional obstacle to a great time.
We’ve been informed that the UQU event organisers have spent most of the morning deliberating contingency plans, including relocating the event to another venue. However, this option is seemingly unlikely given the estimated 3000+ expected attendees, which comes with logistical challenges with licensing for such a large crowd.
Around noon today, the UQ Union announced on all of its social media accounts that the event would be officially cancelled, with an unofficial TOGA party taking place at Friday’s Riverside instead, and full refunds would be made available to all ticket holders.
Speculation around whether this would be the last TOGA party UQU will ever host has been raised after it was announced on market day that the University of Queensland intends to cut the UQU budget over the next few years by several million dollars.
These are the ominous figures put forward by UQ executive management even before considering the impact on business trading caused by a proposed decant as well as ongoing SSAF negotiations. The funding cut will affect the union’s ability to continue providing student services (Kampus Kitchen, Morning Marmalade & Food Co-Op shop), clubs & societies, and events such as its annual TOGA party.
It’s potentially the end of an era for the UQ Union if students, UQ alums and the local community do not band together to protect the biggest student union in the country.
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