Festival organisers approached the council for $20,000 for the March ?9 show but the council's event assessment team ranked 10 other community events above the festival.

Aldermen Rob Soward and Jeremy Ball frowned upon the decision, saying that the council needed to better support youth events.

Acting general manager Rod Sweetnam later said Breath of Life had received $21,150 in council sponsorship over two years.

The council has three event sponsorship rounds each year and assesses events on their economic, social and environmental values.

This round received 13 requests totalling $150,400 from an available budget of $84,875.

In other matters at yesterday's meeting:

 - The council approved the Cimitiere Street Heritage Precinct planning scheme provisions and will release it for public consultation.

- The council has 32 precincts made up of 5407 properties to be included in the interim scheme's local historic heritage code.

-  The council deferred a decision to approve the Launceston stage of the Tour of Tasmania cycling event next month as some aldermen believed promised attributes of the event had changed from when the council agreed in June to contribute $20,000 to it.

The council will need to approve the course by its next council meeting.

 - A motion to compile a report on the merits of forming a multi-stakeholder group to discuss issues with, and solutions for, the Upper Tamar estuary and Esk rivers failed to win council support.

Some aldermen believed that collaboration between the council, TasWater, NRM North and the Launceston Flood Authority was sufficient, while some were concerned that another report would delay possible action.