Showing how it’s done

BERWICK’S 2007 show was a cracker.
Everything fell into place with excellent weather, great sideshows, spectacular entertainment, music, top class exhibitions and competitions all over the showgrounds.
This is probably the biggest event in the south east, and when everything fits into place the hard work put in by a massive team of volunteers really pays off.
During the two days I had one of the best feelings I have experienced at the show over the years with an obvious air of ‘fun at the fair’ prevailing.
The only problem was an issue over car parking, something that was sooner or later inevitable because of the enormous number of people coming into the area.
Car parking is something that the council and the show committee will need to discuss at length in order to come up with a solution even if it means bussing people from places such as the university or Edwin Flack Reserve.
Right now a few tempers are running high and it may be a good idea to put the issue aside for one or two weeks.
Part of the problem was the sudden implementation of parking restrictions along the south side of High Street and the other was the dramatic increase of attendance at this record show.
We have discord over who agreed to what on traffic control outside the ground, but ultimately this is the responsibility of the council traffic officers and police.
There is, however, a big problem with parking and my view is that the Berwick Show will become much bigger, despite some doom predictions about agricultural shows.
Serious consideration needs to be given to the fact that within 10 years attendance at Berwick Show could double to nearly 100,000 people.
The show’s popularity is evident and people will keep on coming.
Options are to run it for another day and night, perhaps Friday afternoon and evening.
Also, thought should be given to holding negotiations with the Shire of Cardinia and Haileybury College to beg more space.
With approval from Haileybury the dog show could be relocated to the college grounds and an agreement could be struck with Cardinia to use the Beaconsfield sports oval for parking.
The problem is that the show is getting bigger than BenHur and is something that falls right into the council’s lap because this 60 strong Berwick Show committee makes no sign of pulling back from ideas to make its event bigger and better and one of the best family outings in Victoria of any kind.
The committee, with hundreds of volunteers, has become a fine tuned team that works to perfection and because of this we have an award winning and popular event.
Casey council is the major sponsor for the show that carries the City of Casey logo and the Casey stand in the Akoonah Park Centre drew an estimated 8000 people.
Twentyfive Casey employees volunteered their time to staff the stand during the two days and this flies in the face of unwarranted public criticism lately directed at one section of council management.
Last weekend nearly 40,000 people thought Berwick Show was a good place to be.
When you stage an event and your only problem is car parking then what are you worried about.
Some cool headed discussion and a little give and take will resolve this problem so let’s have just that.