Fears mounting that some cancelled Tasmanian agricultural shows may never be held again

The pandemic has been hard on Tasmania’s agricultural shows, with a raft of cancellations – and now there are fears some shows may never be held again. LATEST >>

AGRICULTURAL shows are facing an uncertain future in Tasmania, with fears mounting that some cancelled events may never return.

Showmen’s Guild of Tasmania president Debbie Welch said providers of sideshow equipment were hurting, due to two consecutive years of mass cancellations amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It is devastating,” she said. “The fact is, you’ve got to look for alternative employment.”

Ms Welch said she understood why there were caps on crowd numbers but said there was no denying that regional communities were “losing out” as a result of cancelled shows.

Under current Public Health guidelines, the maximum number of people allowed at outdoor events in Tasmania with people freely moving and mixing is 5000.

“I know one show that needed another 30 people just to implement the Covid (safety) plans,” she said. “And they have to be volunteers.

“A lot of the shows can’t make a profit on 5000 people.”

Along with the Royal Hobart Show, events at Bushy Park, Longford, Westbury, Deloraine, Scottsdale and Circular Head are set to go ahead this year.

Last week, the organisers of both the Royal Launceston Show and the Brighton Show announced they were cancelling their events for 2021.

Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania chief executive Scott Gadd said there were challenges facing agricultural shows that predated the pandemic. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

The Devonport Show was axed in 2017 and has not been held since.

Ms Welch is set to provide many amusement rides at the Hobart Show but said ballooning insurance premiums were making it increasingly difficult for ride operators to do business.

“Some of (the) public liability (costs) have skyrocketed,” she said.

Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania chief executive Scott Gadd said there were challenges facing agricultural shows that predated the pandemic.

“The ageing population and the ageing volunteer profile is a bit of an issue, to be honest,” he said.

“It’s hard to say what’s going to happen show by show because every show is different. But I think there’s a real risk that over the next few years we’ll see some rationalisation.

“Because one of the things that can happen is that if you don’t run a show for a year or two, you start to lose your volunteers and your competitors. Essentially, they go off and fill that void with something else. And then it’s hard to get them back.

“So that is a real worry.”

The state government this week announced it would be contributing $250,000 to ensure the Royal Hobart Show could go ahead this year, as well as a $50,000 grant to Tasmanian Agricultural Shows for hygiene and patron management equipment.

Second Tassie show cancelled within days due to Covid

THE Royal Launceston Show is the latest to be cancelled with organisers saying Covid restrictions on capacity would have prevented them from putting on the “positive show” they would have liked to have.

It’s the second year in a row the show that has been running since 1873 has been cancelled.

Launceston Royal Show President Dale Beams said it was a disappointing decision.

“We felt it wasn’t fair to exhibitors, vendors and sponsors that we couldn’t get a bigger number than 5000 to the show.”

‘They weren’t going to get value for their time, it wasn’t going to be enough to make things viable, and we couldn’t see it being a positive show.”

He said they had been hoping to able to allow 8000 people to attend.

Mr Beams said previous shows had drawn crowds of a similar size.

Organisers of the Hobart Royal Show are so far pushing forward with its plan to hold their show in late October with a daily cap of 5000 attendees.

Community Services and Development Minister Jeremy Rockliff said this year’s Hobart Royal Show will benefit from a grant of $50,000 to Tasmanian Agricultural Shows for hygiene and patron management equipment.

“Our support is in addition to the recent announcement of nearly $250,000 from the Agricultural Show Development Grants Program, helping support the sustainability of agricultural show societies by funding important community infrastructure.”

Launceston Show

‘If people come and have a bad experience, don’t get the numbers, don’t get the people it’s not any good and they don’t come back,” Mr Beams said.

The two day event was scheduled for October 6-7.

Mr Beams said most people so far had been understanding of their decision.

At a meeting on Monday night organisers of the Brighton Show also decided to cancel their event, citing similar concerns about capacity.

Mr Beams said they could only apologise to those who had been looking forward to the event and hope they’re interested next year.

“2022 is the first we started planning the other night,” he said.

The maximum number of people allowed at outdoor events with people freely moving and mixing is 5000 under Public Health guidelines

In May Agfest went ahead with a cap on capacity on attendance of 10,000 people across the event.

Tassie show cancelled amid Covid restrictions

THE coronavirus pandemic has claimed yet another popular Tasmanian event, with organisers cancelling the Brighton Show for 2021.

Current crowd capacity limits of 5000 for such outdoor events was the major reason to pull the pin on the show, which was due to be held on November 7.

The decision was made “with great sadness” after a committee meeting was held on Monday night.

The annual Brighton Show drew a big crowd in 2019. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Brighton Show secretary Rosie Purdon said the event, which was also cancelled last year, would typically attract about 18,000 people in pre-Covid times.

“The government will only allow 5000 at one time, so by the time you take out exhibitors and stallholders, plus committee and volunteers, we’re probably only looking at having 3000 through the gates,’’ she said.

“It would end up being too much of an expense that we’re not going to be able to recoup.

“We would have been majorly out of pocket and we don’t want to be in the position where we can’t run a really good show next year.

“We did try and push through ... our committee is very sad that we’ve had to cancel, but there was no other way.”

The annual Brighton Show drew larger than expected crowds in 2019. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

Mrs Purdon said the focus would now turn to making the 2022 show bigger and better, though the committee will still try to run some show events virtually this year.

Mrs Purdon said the show had been running for 86 years.

“The community is pretty devastated but most are understanding and know the position that we’re in,’’ she said.

The Royal Hobart Show is pressing on with plans to run its event in late October, but is facing similar challenges regarding crowd numbers.

Under current Public Health guidelines, the maximum number of people allowed at outdoor events with people freely moving and mixing is 5000.

Outdoor events where people are seated can have a maximum of 10,000, subject to approval by health authorities, including the submission of a Covid-19 safety plan.

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