Due to the current flood event and Bendigo serving as a critical evacuation centre for central and northern Victoria, the 2022 Bendigo Agricultural Show has been cancelled.
The Showgrounds are currently home to the Bendigo Emergency Relief Centre, where approximately 170 people and 20 pets displaced by the floods are staying.
The SES Incident Controller, who has been overseeing the flood response across the region, recommended the Show be cancelled.
Bendigo Agricultural Show Executive Officer Ian Furze said the recommendation was expected and fully accepted by the Show Committee.
“We understand the need to keep people safe and it is important that with the forecast weather to come, we are not putting any additional pressure on local and emergency services,” Mr Furze said.
“We are proud of the fact that our facility has been able to act as an emergency relief centre and that it is able to provide critical assistance at this time.
“The Bendigo Show will return in 2023 but until then, we will continue to do all we can to support the recovery efforts at the site.”
The City of Greater Bendigo is running the Bendigo Emergency Relief Centre as part of its role in supporting relief and recovery in an emergency.
Mayor Cr Andrea Metcalf thanked the Bendigo Agricultural Show Society for its understanding.
“This was a tough but necessary decision and the City appreciates the good spirit of the Show Committee and the way it has responded,” Cr Metcalf said.
“This is an incredibly stressful and vulnerable time for the people staying at the centre and we need to continue to provide them our full support.
“It will be some time before our region enters full recovery mode and the Showgrounds and the exhibition centre are critical to continuing to care for those who need it most.
“The Show will go on in 2023 and we look forward to its return next year.”
