Western NSW Shows receive much-needed financial support from NSW Government
The 2022 Gilgandra Show promises to be one of the biggest and best for many years, thanks to a funding injection from the NSW Government’s Country Shows Support Package.
Minister for Western NSW Dugald Saunders has announced a grant of $28,743 has been allocated to Gilgandra Show Society to assist with the costs of running this year’s event, which will be held on May 6-7.
“The annual show is vital to the psyche of country towns, and the NSW Government is getting behind these events by helping with funding to ensure these events can go ahead in 2022,” Mr Saunders said.
“Every show is different, and the circumstances for every show society have been different over the past couple of years, but the common theme is that the pandemic has hurt every show in some way, shape or form.
“Gilgandra has a wonderful committee of volunteers who ensured last year’s show could go ahead, albeit with some COVID measures in place, and this funding will allow them to ensure the 2022 event builds on that.”
Gilgandra Show Society secretary Iain Thurlow said the funding will provide certainty for the organisers, who plan to put on some new events as part of the 2022 edition of the show.
“We’re so grateful for this funding because it’s allowed us to have confidence in expanding what we have to offer people who attend the show,” he said.
“After a couple of years of drought, we lost the show in 2020 to COVID, and that was only the second time since it started in 1912 that it had to be cancelled. The other was during World War II.
“This year for us is about bringing some normality back to the show, providing that outlet for the community, and ensuring that it’s a celebration of what country shows are all about.”
In further good news for the Western NSW show circuit, Baradine Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Association will receive $15,000 from the Country Shows Support Package for its annual show on Saturday, March 19 while Mendooran Pastoral, Agricultural and Horticultural Association has received the same amount for its show, to be held on Saturday, March 26.