Organisers are planning alternative events to substitute the loss of this year’s Royal Hobart Show

Royal Hobart Show organisers have revealed what could be held this year as a substitute for the recently-cancelled annual event.

ORGANISERS are planning to go ahead with a small-scale event to replace the cancelled 2020 Royal Hobart Show.

The Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania on Friday announced this year’s Royal Hobart Show had been cancelled due to the government-enforced coronavirus restrictions.

RAST chief executive Scott Gadd said it would be “unwise” for the Society to commit “significant funds” on a show which could be cancelled later through COVID-19 challenges.’

Scott Gadd. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“Our review concluded it is impossible to adhere to a COVID Safety Plan for the

event and at the same time mount a viable Royal Hobart Show,” he said.

“The risks of staging a show include higher operating costs and the potentially crippling legal and insurance issues if a patron were to contract COVID-19 at the show despite all the increased spending on Safety Plan requirements such as extra cleaning, sanitation, monitoring, controls and signage.”

Mr Gadd said the Society would meet to consider if some agricultural-related activities that don’t breach social distancing could occur.

“While the traditional, large-scale show as we know it will not occur this year, we have been discussing with the State Government opportunities that may permit an event of an agricultural nature to occur about show time in October,” he said.

“We shall continue exploring this with the Government.

Mr Gadd said the decision to cancel this year’s show was likely to have repercussions for many of Tasmania’s 23 other agricultural shows.

Liberal MP Guy Barnett described the show’s cancellation as a “body blow to the economy”.

Guy Barnett. Picture: RICHARD JUPE

“It’s very disappointing and I’m absolutely sorry for the RHS, it’s one of our pre-eminent shows in Tasmania,” he said.

“It’s been an absolutely tough time, but we’ve stepped up to the challenge and I say congratulations to Tasmanians We are getting through this together and we will keep up that fight to get our economy back on track.”

Mr Barnett said the Show Day public holiday would still remain.

“It’s my understanding the holiday is gazetted and [if] that is the case (that public holiday will remain)”.

It comes after a number of major Tasmanian events have cancelled or changed plans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the Taste of Tasmania and Dark Mofo.