Victorian Agricultural Shows group calls on State Government for extra lockdown funding

Cash-strapped society committees are begging for a financial lifeline as their ag shows are scrapped but the bills are still coming.

Rod Bowles is the president of the Victorian Agricultural Shows organisation. He has called for boosted government funding for country shows following a new wave of lockdown measures. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Wiped from the spring calendar, Victoria’s agricultural show committees are calling for the state and federal governments to throw them a financial lifeline.

Most regional show committees have either pulled the plug on their springtime showcase or in the process of doing so due to coronavirus restrictions.

While not as restrictive as pandemic regulations in Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat, the state rules on social distancing have meant show committees have been forced to cancel or significantly downsize their annual events.

Earlier this month, Victorian Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas announced $300,000 for regional shows, with grants of up to $10,000 available to successful applicants.

However, Victorian Agricultural Shows executive officer Rod Bowles said the state package provided the same level of cash that was offered by government pre-pandemic.

“Nearly every show scheduled for spring has had to be cancelled. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still insurance bills to pay, electricity bills, rates, other expenses,” Mr Bowles said.

“Country shows are run by volunteers on a shoestring budget. They need the annual show to keep things running for the following 12 months until they host their next show.

“The $300,000 — when you divide it up among all the shows across Victoria — doesn’t account for much. It’s the same amount they were getting before the pandemic and the costs obviously are far greater now.”

Victorian Agriculture Minister Mary-Ann Thomas said: “Over the last four years, we have provided 188 grants to show societies right across the state, totalling almost $1.3 million in funding, with an additional $300,000 being provided for the current round.”

“We will continue to back our agricultural and pastoral societies with our annual grants program and welcome the Commonwealth’s recognition of the important role they play and challenges they’ve faced from the pandemic.”

Opposition agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said the State Government needed to boost its financial contribution to regional shows as a matter of urgency.

“The Andrews Labor Government’s offensive move to dress up the annual grants program as ‘Covid recovery’ leaves dozens of volunteer-run show societies short-changed and next year’s events again hanging in the balance,” the Victorian National Party leader said.

“Ag shows and field days are icons of regional Victoria, but Daniel Andrews has no plan to get them back on track.”

Last month, Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said he was looking at a 2021 round of funding following on from a Canberra cash package last year.

A federal announcement is yet to transpire.

“We will work through the extension of this program in the near future but would also hope state governments would make a contribution as well,” Mr Littleproud said last month.