Longreach special holiday repealed

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The state government has agreed to repeal the Special Holiday in the Longreach region scheduled to coincide with Westech Field Days, which has been postponed until next year.

Longreach Regional Council approached the Longreach Jockey Club about rescheduling the holiday to coincide with their Melbourne Cup event, but the offer was declined. The special holiday has instead been repealed, in a move designed to minimise the impact on local businesses and keep the economy open at a critical time.

The special holiday was originally assigned to coincide with Westech Field Days after public consultation on the matter last year. The holiday is usually assigned to coincide with an agricultural or industrial event, however, in recent years both the Longreach Show Society and Longreach Jockey Club have declined offers to have the special holiday associated with their events.

The repealed special holiday was due to be observed on 9 September.