Agfest ontrack
AGFEST will return in 2021 but the agricultural field day will be spread over four days to help organisers comply with COVID-19 restrictions.
TASMANIA’S premier agricultural field day will be spread over four days in 2021 to allow organisers to comply with COVID-19 restrictions and return the event to the paddock.
The Agfest committee says it has developed an innovative new model to deliver large-scale events in a safe and compliant manner.
Agfest 2020 was a virtual event and while it was a massive success in unprecedented circumstances, organisers, exhibitors and patrons want to get back to Quercus Park.
The committee of Rural Youth members said it had researched and finalised the event blueprint for the 96ha site to ensure it comp lied with health regulations and social distancing requirements.
It is hoped 60,000 patrons will be able to come through the gates across the four days, based on current restrictions which might ease again by May next year.
Other new measures to be introduced will be a cap on daily numbers, extra entry and exit points, pre-sold online tickets to enable contact tracing, changes to exhibitor locations to reduce known crowd hot spots and additional cleaning, hand sanitising and traffic-flow monitoring.
Agfest chairman Ethan Williams said protecting the health and welfare of the extended Agfest family was paramount.
“Agfest understands we are working in a very dynamic environment and if our borders re-open or COVID-19 community transmission is evident in the state, we may have to further modify our planned operational model for 2021,” Mr Williams said.
“However, we have decided to have a crack at organising Agfest 2021 back in the paddock, because at the end of the day, that’ s what we do best.”
The committee said the Cloud would again be a part of the 2021 event, opening at 5pm on May 8 after the paddock event closes. Mr Williams said extensive modelling showed increasing social distancing to four square metres per person would equate to 42,000 patrons per day.
But the committee will take further direction from the state government closer to the event.
Primary Industries and Water Minister Guy Barnett welcomed the news.
“The decision to move Agfest 2020 online was necessary … but it makes sense to return it to an outdoor event for next year, provided the COVID-19 situation remains under control ,” he said.