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With COVID having had an unprecedented impact on agricultural shows - over 700 shows have been cancelled since the pandemic began - the Australian Government through its ‘Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women’ program is making $8.3 million available to provide travelling showmen and women assistance with showmen's guild membership fees and rental relief.

The Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women’ program has been divided into two separate grant opportunities:

• Up to $7.8 million – Showground rental relief component
• Up to $0.5 million – Guild fees component

The Victorian Showmen's Guild will administer up to $7.8 million under the Showground rental relief component on behalf of the Government. The Guild fee component will be distributed among the Victorian Showmen’s Guild, The Showmen’s Guild of Australasia, The Showmen’s Guild of South Australia, West Australian Showmen’s Association Inc, and the Showmen’s Guild of Tasmania.

The funding offers support to travelling showmen and women so they can continue to provide the entertainment and amusements often featuring at agricultural shows - up to 75% of ticket sales are attributed to the attractions provided by travelling show businesses.

Federal Minister for Agriculture and Northern Australia David Littleproud said the Government will be working with the Victorian Showmen's Guild to administer up to $7.8 million of payments to contribute to the rental costs for travelling showmen and women associated with their participation at agricultural shows in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.

Up to $500,000 is also available to contribute to the operational costs of travelling show businesses by supporting a moratorium and/or refund on showmen’s guild membership fees for the 2021 and 2022 calendar years.

Minister Littleproud noted “the last two years have been tough for many of us but travelling businesses who visit agricultural shows have been hit very hard.

“Because of the restrictions from COVID-19, many showmen and women have been completely deprived of their main source of income.

“These grants will help travelling showmen and women – often small, independent sole-trader or family-based operations – cover parts of their operational costs through support for guild membership fees and showground rental relief.

“These events are estimated to contribute over $1 billion to the Australian economy, attract over six million patrons and enlist 50,000 volunteers each year.

“But more than that, agricultural shows are a great day out for regional Australians where distance, drought, bushfires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic have made life more difficult.”

Image: Royal Hobart Regatta. Credit Showmens Guild of Tasmania

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