Business keen to cull public holidays

TASMANIA’S business lobby has called for a review of public holidays in the state, saying time off for shows should be scrapped and two regional days extended statewide.

In the wake of the axing of the Royal Launceston Show — prompting questions whether it is the “beginning of the end” for the agricultural shows — the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for the end of the state’s “mis- matched” make-up of public holidays.

TCCI chief executive Michael Bailey said it meant that Devonport — which had its show cancelled in October — and Launceston had public holidays for shows but no event to fill them.

Mr Bailey said it was an impediment to Tasmania’s economy that various parts of Tasmania had public holidays on different days. He said the demise of the Launceston show should be the catalyst for a “rationalisation” of them.

“It’s an obvious inhibitor to economic activity and growth when one half of the state, or a major centre, closes its doors for the day,” he said.

“For a statewide business, or one that does business interstate, it can be pretty debilitating.”

There are more public holidays in Tasmania that are region-specific than there are statewide ones. Six of them are for shows.

Mr Bailey proposed as part of the rationalisation that Regatta Day in February in the South and Recreation Day in November in the North be made a statewide holiday.

“That way, no one misses out,” he said.

Under the wider model, Royal Hobart Show would lose its public holiday vital to draw crowds, but Mr Bailey said to counter this, the Show should instead run from Friday to Sunday.

Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania chief Scott Gadd said the call was “just a tired old line” from the TCCI.

“Of course the economic chamber would say that, what a load of crap,” he said.

“What they ought to recognise is that public holidays do have an economic impact because while people aren’t at work, they go out and stimulate the economy in other ways. “It’s just a tired old line that has been thrown out. Good luck to any politician that wants to take people’s public holidays away.”

While Mr Gadd was in a defiant move over the proposal, he did say the demise of the Royal Launceston Show would have a domino effect.

“It’s going to put a cloud over everyone,” he said.

“We are now going to struggle to get carnivals down and showbags, traditionally they make their money at the big three — Hobart, Launceston and Burnie — and then go along to the smaller ones.

“It could be the beginning of the end for all of us really.

“We are going to have to diversify, we already have, but some are just purely shows and they are up against much bigger events that are more supported financially.”

The Royal Hobart Show has at least had some financial stability after striking a lucrative 25-year deal to lease land to hardware giant Bunnings.

But it is becoming a rarity, with agricultural shows across Australia increasingly hit by problems including declining attendances, lack of sponsorship, increased competition, ageing infrastructure and limited government support.

The end for Launceston show was sealed at a closed meeting of the Launceston City Council on Monday at which aldermen voted to refuse further funding.

Mr Gadd said he felt for the organisers of the Launceston show, which he said should have been better supported by multiple tiers of government.

“Back in the day when [Jim] Bacon was premier, the Show Society there was given commitments of support to move from Newstead,” he said.

“But now the council is withdrawing it and abandoning them.”