Business Hunter is offering City of Newcastle (CN) a subtle word of warning in relation to “time off” plans surrounding the Newcastle Show.
The council has opted to pursue a Local Public Holiday (LPH) for the opening day of the popular event on Friday 28 February.
It follows feedback from people who live, work and run businesses in the Newcastle LGA.
But, Business Hunter is strongly advocating for maintaining a Local Event Day (LED) instead.
There’s a significance difference between the two options.
A LPH is considered a public holiday for all employees whose place of work is within the Newcastle LGA, while LEDs are not a declared public holiday for work purposes.
“Obviously, we commend CN’s ongoing efforts to support and celebrate the Newcastle Show,” CEO Bob Hawes said.
“It’s an event that holds historical and cultural importance for our community.
“However, we’re concerned about the proposal to apply for and declare Friday 28 February as a Local Public Holiday.
“We note council sought to gather community feedback on this matter but we’re also conscious that surveys of this nature may unintentionally attract a large number of individual responses favouring a ‘day off’ without fully considering the economic impacts on local businesses.
“Hopefully, CN takes this on board before advancing its request to the NSW Government.
“With this in mind, we believe it is vital to balance community interests with the practical realities faced by the business sector.
“Declaring a Local Public Holiday in the Newcastle LGA would impose substantial costs on businesses.
“This will particularly impact our vulnerable small business owners in industries such as hospitality, retail, events and recreation, which are already navigating challenges in a fragile economic climate.
“Recent reports of increases in the number of insolvencies are testament not only to the current circumstances but also the fragility of business conditions.
“Business Hunter backs the application for the declaration of a Local Event Day, which has proven to be an effective alternative in the past.”
And, Mr Hawes urged council not to alter the status quo that’s been in place since 2011.
“Why change it when it’s worked well previously?” he said.
“We will support applying to the NSW Government to declare a Local Event Day rather than a Local Public Holiday for the Newcastle Show.
“This approach fosters community celebration while safeguarding the economic viability of our business sector.”
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- Port of Newcastle turns St Pius X student initiative into reality
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