The 2020 Gunnedah Show has been cancelled and the show society says it's "a huge blow".
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The society made the announcement on Tuesday morning after the Agricultural Societies Council of NSW (ASC) met on Monday to discuss the risk of coronavirus at upcoming shows.
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Show society president Rob Witts said they made their decision based on advice from the ASC, which was taking its lead from the NSW Health Minister who is advising against holding events that draw more than 500 people.
"We thought we couldn't hold it, and wouldn't, and ASC said our public liability would not stand if we held it because it's over 500 people; and we thought it was probably socially irresponsible to hold it as well," Mr Witts said.
"At present, we're not sure about the Country Music Muster but we would like to think we can hold it because it's less than 500 people but there's also a direction about not holding non-essential gatherings, and we don't know whether insurance will cover it."
Last month, the show society was unsure whether it could afford to run the show because of lack of sponsorship and volunteers, but after an article in the NVI, Mr Witts said volunteers and businesses had come forward and offered aid to get the show off the ground.
In a fortnight, the society found out it would also receive $5000 through a drought stimulus package for country shows and told the NVI it would definitely go ahead. To now have to to cancel the show after so much work has been put in is "a huge blow" for the society.
Mr Witts is hopeful the funding will still be available to at least "continue to keep the office and doors open between now and next year".
"It costs us money to be a society anyway to keep our doors open - rent of buildings - it all costs," he said.
For the moment, the next step is to get in contact with sponsors, and "all of those that were going to be attending the show in whatever capacity" and tell them the news.
"We're hoping we can continue on in future years,"
The society will make decisions at a later date about other upcoming events including the show jumping festival and the rose show.