GOOD NEWS… After the second cancellation of the Parkes Show this year, the Show Society received good news this week of $4 million funding for the new pavilion. At the announcement in the old 1927 main pavilion were (L-R) Parkes Mayor Ken Keith, NSW Upper House MP Sam Farraway, Chairman of the Parkes Showground Tim O’Brien and President of the Parkes PA & H Peter Unger.
Excitement for the 2022 Parkes Show received a major boost this week with the announcement of a $4 million allocation for the new main pavilion.
NSW Upper House MP Sam Farraway was in Parkes on Wednesday to announce the $4,046,020 grant from the latest round of the COVID-19 showground stimulus program.
“I never thought I’d see this ‘pipe dream’ of 15 to 20 years come to fruition in my life time,” said President of the Parkes PA & H Peter Unger. He said the plan was to have the new pavilion of 80m by 20m including a function room, commercial kitchen, toilets and showers, ready for next year’s show. “It is going to be fantastic,” said Chairman of the Parkes Showground Land Manager Tim O’Brien.
Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith said apart from hosting the largest individual exhibition outside of the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the new facility would be available for a range of other activities, such as Elvis events, weddings, trade shows and more. Project Manager Nathan Weeks of Lyons Advantage said the demolition of the old pavilions would start by the end of August after a proper heritage recording of the nearly century old main pavilion had been completed. He said the tender process for the building of the new pavilion would also be set in motion. The Show Society received a grant of over $200,000 earlier this year for the demolition of the old pavilions.
By Maggi Barnard