Agfest ticket cap frustration understandable: but is it ethical?

Even with its hiccups, the roll out of the COVID-19 vaccine has given most people the chance to breathe a sigh of relief - one that we've been holding on to for longer than we thought.

For the last 12 months Tasmanians have adapted to lockdowns and restrictions governing our every social move - and border closures kept families apart for months at a time.

And while Tasmania has weathered the most of the pandemic with strong resolve and with relatively limited impact (at least compared to other states and the world) it's still left a scar on our lives.

Which is why the concern and anger over crowd restrictions for the upcoming Agfest event can be understood; people are hungry for a semblance of normal and Agfest has become the symbol of that.

For many people Agfest is a rite of passage, and for others its an annual event on their calendars - despite its cancellation last year.

School communities and the general public have been up in arms about the low ticket availability for the event, even though it will be the largest outdoor event held in Tasmania since the pandemic.

To compound that, Agfest has always had a strong rural education undercurrent, with large numbers of schools lining up to send busloads of children for the usual three-day event.

The decision to limit those numbers must have been very difficult for Rural Youth Tasmania - who limited them in favour of paying ticketholders (or those who will spend money at the event).

While it sounds on the surface a callous economical decision, consideration must be given to the financial cost of running such a huge event, which is done by a bunch of young rural volunteers.

On the same token, it must be noted the contribution students make to the event, with many giving up volunteer hours to fundraise for their schools and others participating in the various events.

The decision must have been a difficult one - and not one I imagine was made lightly.

Agfest is a highlight of the social calendar for so many Tasmanians, but not only people from the state, it also attracts many mainlanders and in previous years there's also been international interest.

It's an event that brings people together, it showcases the heart of the agricultural community, but provides a good family day out, and the chance to snap up a bargain or two.

For Tasmanians who have been starved of many large scale events for the past year, the allure of Agfest must be strong - even it's nearly 100 per cent guaranteed to rain (if you have your tickets, I suggest you pack your gumboots now).

Agfest, like many events, was cancelled last year, and although a successful in the cloud online event was run, it doesn't replace the social interaction or experience you get from being at the event.

I can understand why people are disappointed - especially in light of the fact that a decision to ease restrictions for public indoor and outdoor ticketed events seems immiment.

But unfortunately, right at this present time, going straight back to 100 per cent capacity does carry a degree of risk.

If Agfest is going to attract mainland and Tasmanians to mingle together in one space, the potential for a COVID case to spread is still there - even if we have not had a case in Tasmania for many months or have any community transmission.

The problem is, should we go from zero to 100 - as much as we'd all like to be able to go to Agfest, we might not be able to.

However, there is still scope to increase the total ticket capacity to more than it currently is - something the Agfest committee and the community would all like to see.