UPDATE: Future unclear for Wagga hosting NRL game and hotel owners predict bookings will be cancelled in wake of coronavirus decision. Scroll down for further updates.
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Wagga's Mardi Gras has been cancelled 24 hours out from the event as the threat of coronavirus is deemed too great for large-scale events to go ahead in the city
Wagga City Council held a press conference on Friday to speak on the future of large-scale events scheduled in the city over the next few months.
The Mardi Gras, which was due to kick off on Saturday afternoon, is the first cab off the rank in a long list of big name events in the next several weeks that won't go ahead.
Mayor Greg Conkey was joined by Council's general manager Peter Thompson, Wagga Mardi Gras organiser Holly Conroy and Wagga MP Joe McGirr.
"We have made the very, very difficult decision this morning to not hold all mass gatherings where people come from outside the region," Cr Conkey said.
"This includes the Wagga Mardi Gras, the Food and Wine Festival in a couple of weeks and we're also looking at the Raiders game in April, and possibly having the match in Wagga but without spectators.
"We know this will have a major economic impact on the city, but the safety of the community must take precedence."
An update from Murrumbidgee Local Health District issued at 12.48pm confirmed there are no known cases of COVID-19 across the district.
Watch the full press conference:
Cr Conkey said it was becoming clear that "it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when the first case (of COVID-19) will be detected" and that there were concerns that "large numbers of people from outside Wagga gathering here create a greater risk."
The strain such an outbreak would put on the city's health resources was a factor in making the call to cancel the events, Cr Conkey said.
"The more people we have coming from outside the city poses a significant risk and we need to mitigate this risk," he said.
"It would be nice if the federal and state governments came o n board and made some stronger statements than what they're making. We're doing ... the responsible thing, we believe, for this city, we need to protect the residents of this city."
The Melanoma March around Lake Albert was meant to take place on Sunday, however organisers made the call on Friday morning to cancel remaining events around the country.
The annual Wagga Food and Wine Festival, a highlight on the annual events calendar that is expected to draw 3000 people to the civic precinct on March 28,
The NRL's return to Wagga is now a question mark. The Canberra Raiders were due to host Newcastle Knights for their round six clash at Equex on April 18.
Anzac Day commemorations will fall a week later and just a week after that, another 10,000 people were due for the biggest date on the city's calendar, the Wagga Gold Cup.
Dr McGirr said the decision was disappointing for the region, the organisers and the community, however he supported council's proactive approach.
"It's pretty clear from the health professional's point of view that there's a high level of concern we control the rate of spread of the coronavirus, it's important that we have a slow spread and we prevent it where possible," he said.
"As long as we continue to be proactive, then we can limit the impact of this illness and bounce back effectively. Together we will get through this.
"This decision the council has taken is about mass gatherings involving people coming from outside the region, and I think that is a good step at this stage to limit the spread of the illness."
Ms Conroy was disappointed at the event's cancellation but urged those already in town to make Friday night their own mardi gras.
"We listened to the advice of health officials. We know this is a precautionary measure in the current situation," Ms Conroy said.
"We are positive about the long-term future of this event, and tonight we want to celebrate our diversity at our show which is still going ahead at Que Bar.
"Tonight will be our Wagga Mardi Gras. If people are disappointed Mardi Gras is not going ahead then come along and support the show."
Dr McGirr urged the community to heed health warnings and do their part to limit the spread of coronavirus, while continuing to support local businesses that will be hurting in the wake of the cancellations.
Nationals MLC Wes Fang said on Friday morning the health ministry reached broad agreement that any event with more than 100 attendees had to be "seriously reconsidered" in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
He had lobbied council to postpone the Mardi Gras, saying it presented an unacceptable level of risk.
"This decision has not been made lightly, however protecting the health of our dedicated community members and their families who run and attend these events, many of whom are cancer patients, is paramount," said Melanoma Institute CEO Matthew Browne.
"We will be offering full refunds for registrations, and will provide further information shortly regarding that process."
News of the Wagga council's decision to cancel Mardi Gras just over 24 hours before the parade was due to begin spread fast on Friday afternoon.
Kane McCrea and Aurora King said they had many friends who had been looking forward to the parade and it was disappointing to see it cancelled.
"I just spent the whole day decorating my shop," Ms King said.
However, Mr McCrea said the decision to look at cancelling events as far away as the NRL game was not unexpected given the widespread cancellations internationally.
"If they're (cancelling) sports around the world, I'm sure they can do sports here," he said.
"It's a bit unfortunate for the Mardi Gras that it came the day before."
He said he could see how it would be upsetting to see the parade cancelled just a week after 10,000 attended the AFL double-header, but the situation was changing quickly.
"It's obviously escalated in one week," he said.
Ms King said it was important to make these decisions before the outbreak hit Wagga.
"You'e got to take your precautions beforehand," she said.
Kyra Stanfield also said she was disappointed, and thought the risk was being overstated.
"I understand they're trying to control it but more people have died from the flu," she said.
"I don't know if we have lots of community if we're cancelling all our events.
"There's been no confirmed cases in Wagga... are we going to be scared all the time over everything?"
Chloe Liquorish said as a retail worker, she was concerned about the economic impact the cancellation of Wagga's major events would have, with her business likely to take a budget hit.
She said she was mostly concerned for the casual workers who were set to lose out on work over the coming months.
"For some of the girls I work with, that's tough," she said.
"They're not the ones who are going to get the stimulus packages."
Ms Liquorish said she was concerned following murmurs around accommodation price hikes during last month's Junior State Cup, she was concerned about the hit to the city's reputation with tens of thousands of people coming to Wagga for the Mardi Gras to be cancelled at such short notice.
She said when the news of the cancellations dropped on Friday, she saw a noticeable drop in traffic through the Wagga Marketplace and Baylis Street.
Ms Liquorish said she believed there needed to be some "common sense" around hygiene without drastic measures while health officials were still reporting no cases in Wagga.
"Unless there's something they're not telling us about how bad it is, we've got to continue on," she said.
Ms Liquorish's mother Yvonne Sutton said at her age she was "a little bit worried" about what would happen if she caught COVID-19, but "what's going to happen is going to happen."
She said she was concerned about the lack of clear information about how bad the situation was, and she felt the dissemination of information had become too political.
"We're all grappling in the dark," she said.
"It seems like we have to find out the hard way."
Bev Gregory and Irene Woodward said they thought the decision to cancel Mardi Gras would cause undue panic.
Ms Gregory said she thought it was "utterly ridiculous."
"You're cheating the public ... there's nothing to it really."
Ms Woodward said she was concerned about all the money that had already been spent on Mardi Gras.
"All the accommodation, are they going to refund that?
The pair said they were not particularly concerned about catching COVID-19, and believed cancelling major events would not necessarily prevent it from happening.
"If you're going to get it, you're going to get it," Ms Gregory said.
"We've just got to hope we're healthy enough to pull through."
The council's major events decision also covers the Wagga Food and Wine Festival, which has been cancelled, and the NRL Raiders versus Knights game, which might be played with no crowd.
The Daily Advertiser has contacted the NRL for comment.
A Canberra Raiders representative said the team was focused on managing the impacts on its immediate upcoming games and would make a statement on the Wagga event at a later stage.
Wagga Food and Wine Festival chairman David Pyke said the event would be cancelled as rescheduling it would miss the spring season or clash with Gears and Beers in October.
"We haven't heard from a state government authority but the council has now cancelled events in the city, so the Mardi Gras is cancelled, which is devastating for them as it was imminent, and for us," he said.
"We will just accept the decision and we will get on with organising next year's event."
Mr Pyke said the cancellation would affect the city's economy as well as the variety of community groups and charities that received funds from the event.
"The Rotary Club of Wollundry distributes all our funds from events to community groups.
"It's devastating for the businesses running these things as we hire a huge number of chairs, tables and marquees, just like the Mardi Gras does.
"It puts a dent in business as well."
Wagga's hotels and motels are also bracing for financial impacts as a result of events being cancelled.
Wagga International Hotel owner Basil Berrigan said he expected to see guests cancel their bookings once they heard about the coronavirus decision.
"Socially, it's bad and economically it's bad for the whole area," he said.
"It's certainly something that has to be done but it is just unfortunate that it has to be done.
"People will definitely cancel reservations; that's the fallout from the decision that has been made by the council and the state government.
"There will be a domino effect from the coffee shops, the dress shops to the shopping malls and restaurants"
Wagga Best Western and Ambassador Motor Inn owner Tony Neale said the accommodation industry would be the first to see the economic impacts that would then spread to other businesses.
"If you decrease visitation in Wagga, the first place they would have arrived at would have been their accommodation," he said.
"Then you get the flow-ons: all the people who stay in hotels also have to eat.
"They're not going to buy fuel, they're not going to be here to go to restaurants or shops or pubs or use taxis.
"All the money they would usually spend to have a good time and at the event itself."
Mr Neale said fewer guests in hotels also meant fewer shifts for cleaning workers who would not be needed to prepare empty rooms.
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