Land ownership changes at Inveresk are not seen as “a major stumbling block” for the future of the Launceston Show, according to the City of Launceston.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Acting general manager Mike Tidey said community support, private sponsorship and patronage was vital to its success.
“The City of Launceston and the state government have provided support again this year to ensure the Launceston show can proceed,” Mr Tidey said.
“We have put several conditions in place around our support, including that the show society board make it abundantly clear to the Northern Tasmanians that public support and patronage this year is more vital than ever to secure the event for future years and to help ensure its sustainability going forward.”
Discussions are ongoing between the council, the University of Tasmania and show society about the use of land at Inveresk, as the old velodrome site has been gifted to the university for its Northern campus project.
“As elements of that project crystallise, we are working with all parties to deal transparently with the opportunities presented,” Mr Tidey said.
“It would be inappropriate to detail discussions and ideas which may only be in their infancy and which may not proceed at all. Suffice to say, we don't believe these matters are critical at this stage to the future of the Launceston show, which faces other direct challenges to its future sustainability.”
Mr Tidey said there were many options for land use at Inveresk, and the show in its current format would be “largely unaffected” by the university’s proposal in the immediate future.
Ongoing viability issues and patronage were a common theme in traditional agricultural shows across the nation, he said.