THE Royal Bathurst Show will be moved to the October long weekend following an emergency meeting of the show executive on Tuesday night.
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The Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association was forced to change plans for the show that had been set down for April 24-26 in response to the global COVID-19 crisis.
The Sydney Royal Easter Show was cancelled last Friday after the federal government called for an end to all "non-essential" gatherings of 500 people or more and attention quickly turned to Bathurst's plans.
It had appeared most likely the executive would recommend a much scaled-down show in April with no rides and crowds and only agricultural competitions running, but Tuesday night's meeting voted instead to postpone it to October 2-4.
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Bathurst AH&P president Col McPhee said the association would continue monitoring the coronavirus situation while working towards an October show.
"This (COVID-19) is impacting all small and large shows across the country," Mr McPhee said.
"We are postponing in the hope that by October we will have come out the other side of this situation and the community can come together safely to celebrate their show."
The devastating impact that cancelling the show for the year would have on members of the travelling Showman's Guild - who provide the spectacular rides for shows across the state - was also considered.
"This decision was not taken lightly, especially when vendors and exhibitors are contacting us and begging us to run the show as they are sitting in trucks full of stock, with nowhere to go and no income in sight," Mr McPhee said.
"We are gravely concerned about the impact this will have on the mental health of those who rely on the show circuit for their income."
Bathurst AH&P secretary Brett Kenworthy acknowledged the hard work of the dedicated volunteers who donate their time to the Royal Bathurst Show and the show movement, saying the association understood the concerns of the Showman's Guild and other commercial exhibitors.
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