NSW Government rejects call for public holiday for Newcastle Regional Show

The NSW Government has rejected a plan for a public holiday leading into next month’s Newcastle Regional Show.

Business groups in Newcastle have welcomed the State Government saying it will save them millions of dollars in unnecessary costs, but the rejection was crticised by the city’s trade unions and Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.

Newcastle City Council voted to apply for the show day holiday last year but the application was never sent because Councillor Brad Luke lodged a rescission motion.

This year Lord Mayor Nelmes made the application herself, indicating to NSW Industrial Relations Minister Andrew Constance that her request had majority support of the council.

However, Minister Constance rejected the application last week, saying it was inconsistent with the ‘local event day’ sought by Lake Macquarie Council, and that he’d received more than 40 submissions from business groups which had strongly opposed the move.

Lord Mayor Nelmes said she was “extremely disappointed”, telling the Newcastle Herald “the Minister is obviously not talking to Novocastrians when he says he only received submissions against a show holiday.”

The Council had sought public feedback on the show holiday last year, she said, with only 57 out of 384 submissions opposed to it.

Trade unions echoed the call, with Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association Secretary Barbara Nebart stating “the minister has robbed the local community of the opportunity to celebrate the spectacular Newcastle show day.”

Hunter Business Chamber, HunterNet, the property council and other Newcastle business groups welcomed the announcement, with chamber chief executive officer Kristen Keegan saying it was a “sensible decision”.

The Newcastle Regionalm Show is held at the Broadmeadow Showground from 6th to 8th March. For more information go to www.newcastleshow.com.au