Coronavirus Australia: Events worth millions to regional communities cancelled
Major events that would normally inject thousands, if not millions, of dollars into regional communities have been cancelled because of coronavirus. This is what just some of them are normally worth.
REGIONAL communities are set to lose out on hundreds of thousands of dollars with events cancelled due to coronavirus.
But locals remain stoic and hopeful in the face of adversity, turning their attention to future events.
The uncertainty about what future coronavirus restrictions might entail, and the financial and health risks associated with trying to safely run a major event during a pandemic, have led to many spring, summer and even autumn events being cancelled, sometimes months in advance.
This is what some of those major events would normally bring financially to regional communities.
PATCHEWOLLOCK MUSIC FESTIVAL (October 16-18)
WHILE this event is free to attend, committee president Greg “Wally” Wallace said organisers have estimated that attendees would spend $600,000 in the local community and region over two-and-a-half days.
Organisers announced their decision to cancel the festival, held annually near Ouyen, last month.
“What the music festival does is makes the businesses that are in Patchewollock and the surrounding areas, it gives them a cash injection to hold them through for another 12 months,” said Mr Wallace, who owns a local caravan park.
“And all the preschools and the kinders and local primary schools and art and craft society in Hopetoun, all of them come and do work for the music festival and then we pay them, so it is a fundraiser for all those societies as well.
“In one way it is a big loss to all the other community-based groups — they’re not going to get that extra cash injection that they’d always get. That’s going to make them struggle because a lot of them rely on it now.”
Mr Wallace said with the loss of both the music festival and last month’s Mallee Machinery Field Days in Speed was a double-blow to the region.
“The two of them going is like our harvest has been a frosted harvest where we’ve got no cash injection for us to see though another 12 months,” he said.
But he said the Silo Art Trail could help boost tourism post-lockdown.
“When the lockdown finishes, it’s a little bit different now because we’ll end up with a bit of tourism again, and especially with the borders closed, and that’ll be hopefully our saviour.”
MACEDON RANGES WINE AND FOOD “BUDBURST” FESTIVAL (November)
THE Macedon Ranges Wine and Food Budburst Festival, run by the Macedon Ranges Vignerons Association, is a weekend event that showcases more than 30 cellar doors.
Run last year on November 9-10, “due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation, and the uncertainties surrounding it”, the decision to cancel the event was “taken with the health and safety of all in mind”, according to the event’s website.
According to Macedon Ranges Shire Council’s director planning and environment Angela Hughes, the event generates approximately $250,000 economic impact, and of the around 2000 attendees, it is estimated between 500-600 stay overnight.
2020 VICTORIAN OPEN (November 20-27)
THE lawn bowls event has run in Shepparton in the Goulburn Valley since 2011.
According to a Greater Shepparton City Council spokesperson, the tournament brings close to 2000 domestic and international bowlers to Greater Shepparton.
“The event generates in excess of $1 million into the Greater Shepparton economy annually across its eight days with athletes and their support crew staying at local accommodation sites, eating at restaurants and cafés and exploring the many great things to see and do in our region.”
QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL (November 27-29)
Traditionally held on the last weekend in November, the announcement came in July that what would have been the 24th QMF had been cancelled.
Last year’s line-up included the likes of Tim Finn, The Cat Empire, Missy Higgins, Clare Bowditch, Ash Grunwald and Troy Cassar-Daley.
According to the 2019 Queenscliff Music Festival Report given to the local council, last year’s festival had a $4.49 million total economic impact. The event was deemed a sell out for the fourth year in a row, with more than 8000 tickets sold (not counting children 13 and under). And 94 per cent of the attendees came from outside the local region.
WIMMERA MACHINERY FIELD DAYS (March 2-4)
THE Wimmera Field Days was the last major agricultural show to be held this year before coronavirus restrictions started to come into effect.
Organisers have cancelled next year’s event because of the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus restrictions.
According to the field days’ website, the annual event injects more than $3 million directly into the broader Wimmera economy, but “the potential economic contribution to the region is significantly higher”.
“More than $200 million in machinery, equipment and materials find a home at the Field Days site. Conservative estimates suggest the three days generate well over $50 million in trade.”
SOUTH EAST FIELD DAYS (March 2021)
FOR two years in a row the South East Field Days, at Lucindale in South Australia – about 55km from the Victorian border – will have been cancelled due to coronavirus.
Normally held on the third Friday and Saturday in March, the 2020 event was called off with less than a week’s notice. The organisers, the Lucindale Lions Club, have made the decision on 2021 already.
Event secretary Lyn Crosby said the event averaged 22,000 people through the gates over two days, and about 600 exhibitors. She said it had been estimated the event would normally generate between $20-30 million across the Limestone Coast area – accommodation was almost entirely booked out within a 150km radius, plus add meals, petrol, and a trend for visitors to make it a holiday.
“The big thing for the Lions club is the charities, because we try to give between $60,000 and $100,000 out to charity every year because we support the hospitals, schools, sporting people,” she said.
“The Lions club is now looking at other ways they can raise money without having a field days so we can at least help the people out.”
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