Source: ABCnews
One of Victoria’s largest annual community events, the Royal Melbourne Show, is being cancelled for the second year running due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The showgrounds will instead continue to be used as one of the state’s largest COVID-19 testing and vaccination facilities.
Up until last year, the show had only been called off twice since it began in 1848, for the war effort in 1915 and 1940-1945.
The event showcases excellence in agriculture, with thousands of producers from regional and rural Victoria demonstrating their products and livestock.
The show was supposed to run for 11 days starting on September 23, attracting 450,000 visitors and contributing more than $244 million to the state’s economy.
The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria’s (RASV) chief executive Brad Jenkens said the event was cancelled because of the difficulties in planning a major event, “particularly those with large free-roaming crowds”.
“Despite not holding the 2021 Royal Melbourne Show, the Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria is exploring and developing new initiatives and opportunities to celebrate food and agricultural producers, rural and regional Victoria and our talented creative industries,” Mr Jenkins said.
Matt Coleman, the RASV president, said a decision had to be made to allow certainty for the exhibitors, competitors and volunteers.
