Council determines Melbourne Cup Day to be observed as local public holiday
Febrary 23, 2017
Colac Otway Shire Council has determined that the local public holiday will be observed on Melbourne Cup Day in the shire from 2017 to 2020.
The decision follows wide community consultation and responds to feedback regarding local business sentiment and supports the position of Colac Show organisers, the Colac Pastoral and Agricultural Society.
Over four hundred people took the opportunity to participate in a community survey on the topic, with Council receiving direct feedback from the Colac Pastoral and Agricultural Society, Colac Chamber of Commerce, Apollo Bay Chamber of Commerce and various primary and secondary schools.
At a meeting with the Colac Pastoral and Agricultural Society, Council representatives were advised that the Society’s view is that a change from the Friday public holiday will not impact the show as they do not believe there is a direct link to patron numbers and the holiday.
Representing the business community, the Colac Chamber of Commerce emphasised the negative financial impact on businesses to hold the public holiday on the Friday, particularly with regard to penalty rates. It also highlighted the confusion to visitors in the region who were unaware of the alternative holiday.
Colac Otway Shire Mayor Chris Potter was satisfied that Council had made its decision based on well considered community feedback.
“There are some decisions we have to make as a Council that will never please everyone – and this was one of them – but there are a lot of factors to weigh up in a decision like this,” he said.
“Councillors assessed issues like tourism, penalty rates, family time, school attendance rates and potential impacts of show attendance and business patronage. It’s been a very complex matter.”
Cr Potter believes the certainty created by this resolution of Council will assist the community in its plans for the future on the first Tuesday of November.
Council’s decision at last night’s Ordinary Council meeting is a change from the past eight years where Colac Show Day has been the gazetted public holiday.
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