Show societies across Queensland are breathing a sigh of relief, after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced plans to drop COVID-19 restrictions that they claim threatened the fate of struggling agricultural shows.
Welcoming the announcement, Queensland Ag Shows general manager Trevor Beckingham said the vaccination mandate was the "biggest challenge the show movement has ever faced".
Mr Beckingham said vaccine mandates had resulted in six shows being cancelled and a further six being postponed, with show committees still to decide if they can go ahead.
Last month he accused the Queensland government of discrimination and double standards, angry that COVID-19 vaccine mandates applied to agricultural shows, but not the majority of other users of the same showgrounds.
"You could have any other event on the grounds, sporting events or markets, basically anything else but not a show," Mr Beckingham said.
"That meant that in order to comply with the requirements, to meet the government rules and regulations, we had to provide extra layers of security or staff and that was beyond the financial reach of most of our shows.
"The government's interaction with us has been nothing short of non-existent and for public servants to treat their constituents in that matter is totally appalling by any standard."
Mr Beckingham said volunteers had copped verbal abuse and the vaccine mandate, which was came into effect on December 17 last year, had caused splits in some communities.
Petition tabled
After tabling a petition of more than 6,000 signatures in parliament last week asking for the vaccine mandate to be lifted, LNP agriculture spokesman Tony Perrett said the Premier's announcement was "too long coming".
Mr Perrett used the rodeo that forms part of the Gympie Show as an example of the "absurdity" of the rules.
It did not require participants or patrons to be vaccinated, but the agricultural show it was being staged with did.
After initially postponing, the Gympie Show Society Committee decided the show would go on from May 12–14 at a meeting last night.
President Debbie Brown said they had made "very few bookings for entertainment and sponsorship could be hard to secure after businesses were impacted by last month's flood".
Sunshine Coast Agricultural Show Society president Rowan O'Hara estimated the decision would save them at least $20,000 in security at their gates and bring relief to community groups that relied on the show for fundraising.
"The show's on June, 10, 11 and 12 and we had done a lot of soul searching and crunching the numbers and logistical points of view on deciding how we would proceed for this year and had made the decision last week that we would go ahead."
The state government has announced that as of 1am, Thursday April 14, Queensland's pubs, clubs, cafes and restaurants, theme parks, casinos and cinemas, weddings, showgrounds, galleries, libraries, museums and stadiums would be open to all.
The requirement for vaccinations will still apply in vulnerable settings including hospitals, aged and disability care, prisons, schools and early childhood centres.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the settings had achieved their purpose: slowing the spread of COVID.
"By April 14, it is anticipated we will be at a stage of the current wave where we are comfortable to take this next step," Queensland Health Minister Yvette D'Ath said.
"But the best defence against serious illness is to be fully vaccinated."
Gayndah and Nanango's agricultural shows will proceed this weekend under the current restrictions.
