The Australian Government has committed a further $4 million on top of the $4.3 million announced in the 2021-22 Budget to ensure travelling showmen and women can continue to support agricultural shows across Australia as the show circuit resumes. This brings total funding for travelling showmen and women to $8.3 million.
Agricultural shows are an integral part of Australian culture. They bring communities together and help bridge the divide between country and city. Agricultural shows play an important role in supporting on-farm innovation, productivity and profitability.
Travelling showmen and women are an important part of the agricultural show circuit. They provide the rides and showbags that get kids excited and get families through the gates, generating revenue for the shows through rent and gate takings.
Purpose
The business models of agricultural shows and travelling showmen and women depend on each other. Together they provide significant social and economic benefits to regional communities and agricultural industries. Agricultural shows rely on income from rent paid by vendors and exhibitors, and ticket sales paid by participants that are driven by the goods and services provided by travelling showmen and women. In turn, agricultural shows provide the physical and organisational infrastructure needed by showmen and women to operate.
The Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women program helps eligible travelling show businesses to meet operational costs, such as showground rental fees and guild/association membership fees, to enable them to continue to support agricultural shows across Australia now and into the future.
Showmen’s Guild Fees
The Showmen’s Guild Fees grant opportunity provided $ 560,867.75 (GST inclusive) for moratoriums and/or refunds on showmen guild membership or association fees for the 2021 and 2022 calendar years.
The following guilds and associations received funding:
- Victorian Showmen’s Guild -$183,810 GST inclusive
- The Showmen’s Guild of Australasia - $242,880 GST inclusive
- The Showmen’s Guild of South Australia - $47,850 GST inclusive
- West Australian Showmen’s Association Inc - $42,327.75 GST inclusive
- Showmen’s Guild of Tasmania - $44,000 GST inclusive
Showground Rental Relief
The Showground Rental Relief grant opportunity will deliver $7,763,836 (GST exclusive) to cover rental expenses incurred by travelling show businesses at an eligible agricultural show in the 2021 – 22 and 2022-23 financial years.
The Victorian Showmen’s Guild will administer the funding on behalf of the department. Further information on how eligible agricultural show societies and Showmen’s guilds or associations can access the funding will be available soon.
Contacts
If you require further information in relation to the Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women program, please contact the department.