A RESCHEDULED Royal Bathurst Show in October might come too late for some members of the Showmen's Guild of Australasia who are facing six months with no return on their multi-million dollar carnival rides.
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The coronavirus crisis first forced the cancellation of Sydney's Royal Easter Show and then the planned postponement of the Bathurst show until the October long weekend (pending health approvals), robbing ride operators of one of their most lucrative seasons.
But guild member John Roberts - who has been a regular in Bathurst over the past 27 years with his large selection of dodgem cars, bungee trampolines, jumping castles and sideshow games - says a lack of government support for his industry means some ride operators will not survive the shutdowns.
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"Right now we're not allowed to operate but the problem is that the people who are the biggest operators and who make the greatest contribution to the show circuit are also the ones who have the greatest investment and the largest repayments to meet but they're currently getting no return on that investment," Mr Roberts said.
"There's no particular government stimulus that applies to us.
"The Jobkeeper helps those who have permanent employees and want to sit down for six months, and some of our members have done that, but for most of us who want to keep our business going there is no clear and easy support.
"I still have insurances to pay, registration to pay and repayments on my equipment so that's where you run into trouble.
"If this just goes on for the next six months then I can probably get through it, but I would suggest a lot of our members won't come back from this."
Mr Roberts said those operators who do come through the next six months still in business will face some difficult decisions about which shows they attend with the shortened show season meaning events are likely to be held simultaneously in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.
"At the same time [as the planned Bathurst show] there are big shows in North Queensland in Cairns and Mackay and smaller shows around them, shows in South-East Queensland and the Victorian show circuit in places like Shepparton, Geelong, Sale and Traralgon so we might have trouble supplying amusements to all those shows," he said.
"But Bathurst is definitely one of our strongest shows and it's the key to the strength of the western region circuit."
Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral Association executive secretary Brett Kenworthy conceded the show, if it goes ahead, would be quite different to the traditional autumn shows.
"When we chose the October long we knew ride operators would have to make some tough decisions but, at the same time, we had to make a tough decision on whether we cancel the 2020 show or work to postpone it," Mr Kenworthy said.
"At the time we decided to postpone the show we said we would review that decision in July or August when we know more, but we are well aware that if we proceed with the 2020 show in October it will be a very different Royal Bathurst Show."
