Anew chapter in the 160-year history of the Naracoorte Show started with the official opening of the new Members’ Clubrooms at the Naracoorte Showgrounds.
Member for Barker Tony Pasin officially opened the new building which received over $300,000 from the former Coalition Government, announced in 2020.
The $517,000 project included an exhibition hall, board room, kitchen, toilets, storage rooms and car park upgrade.
Naracoorte Pastoral & Agricultural Society Secretary Amanda Lock said the new building has improved the offering at the showgrounds, which has seen many additions since 1890.
“The renovation and extension of the Members’ Clubrooms has allowed the society to provide an essential community space for Naracoorte and surrounding areas,” she said.
“The building offers full multimedia facilities in both the hall and boardroom meaning users can be connected, literally to anywhere in the world.
“The kitchen, storage rooms and fully accessible toilets compliment the space giving the building a diversity of uses for the whole community.
“We are very excited to have this venue as part of our showgrounds and are very grateful for the grant funding we received to enable this project to be fulfilled.”
The former Coalition Government invested over $80m to support the growth and long-term sustainability of agricultural shows and field days through a range of targeted grant programs.
Mr Pasin said the grants were benefiting both agricultural show societies and local towns and communities like Naracoorte.
“In many regional areas agricultural shows and field days are the heart and soul of our regional communities.
“They help bring communities together, bridge the divide between country and city and provide a key injection into the local economy,” he said.
“These events showcase the hard work and innovation that goes into producing Australia’s food and fibre, and in Barker we have some of the best in the nation.
“This Coalition Government legacy is helping our show societies refurbish their showgrounds and facilities, so they can continue to hold events to an exceptional standard for generations to come.”
Mr Pasin said across the nation the roughly 580 agricultural shows and field days contribute more than $1b to the economy annually attracting more than six million patrons and are supported by more than 50,000 volunteers.
