What a relief

Following from the announcement in March 2022, the Australian Government’s Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women Showground Rental Relief program is now up and running. And the shows will go on.

The Victorian Showmen’s Guild will administer the program and process reimbursements and payments for rental costs for travelling showmen and women across Australia, associated with their participation at agricultural shows in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.

The program is designed to provide rental relief to travelling showmen and women at eligible agricultural shows in country and regional Australia.

Download our program explainer.

How the program works

The program will work on two levels:

1. Reimbursement of rental, ground administration fees and approved associated expenses for shows attended between 1 July 2021 and 31 May 2022. Reimbursements will be paid directly to the individual businesses via the respective Guild, Association or Ag Show Society. Applications for reimbursement close 30 September 2022. 
2. Rental payment of rental, ground administration fees and approved associated expenses for shows attended between 1 June 2022 and 30 June 2023. Payments will be paid directly to relevant Ag Show Society on behalf of travelling Showmen and Women for individual show.

Who is eligible

Eligibility will be measured on three criteria:

1. Eligible Agricultural Show
2. Eligible Activity
3. Eligible Travelling Show business

An eligible Agricultural Show is:

• An agricultural show which comprises a mixture of events, activities, displays, competitions and entertainment that together seek to showcase a broad range of the agriculture sector and animal husbandry, including its equipment, livestock, trade and innovation, and
• A scheduled event run by an entity that is a member of Agricultural Shows Australia or a state and territory agricultural show society that is a member of Agricultural Shows Australia, and
• A scheduled event that went ahead in the 2021-22 and/or 2022-23 financial years, or
• An agricultural show which was cancelled less than two weeks prior to the scheduled event and incurred showground rental expenses normally charged to travelling show businesses, and
• A local agricultural show or a Capital City Royal Show held in Canberra, Hobart or Darwin in the 2021-22 and/or 2022-23 financial years.

Eligible activities:

• Rental expenses incurred by a travelling show business at an eligible agricultural show (as described above) in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.
• Ground administration fee (also known as guild levy) imposed by the Victorian Showmen’s Guild, The Showmen’s Guild of Australasia, The Showmen’s Guild of South Australia, West Australian Showmen’s Association Inc. or Showmen’s Guild of Tasmania at an eligible agricultural show in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.
• Rent relief packages which include showground rental expenses, accommodation (camping), utilities (electricity and water), and administrative and marketing support provided by a showmen’s guild or association in the support of an agricultural show society in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 financial years.

Note: ineligible program activities are defined as:

• Expenses already claimed under the Supporting Agricultural Shows and Field Days grant opportunity. Agricultural show events are only eligible to receive funding for eligible expenses from one of the programs.
• Expenses incurred at a Capital City Royal Show held in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide
• Expenses incurred at agricultural shows cancelled more than two weeks ahead of their scheduled event
• Showmen’s guild/association membership fees
• Expenses not associated with the delivery of this grant

Eligible Travelling Show business:

• Has an Australian Business Number, and

• Derives the majority of their income through the provision of amusement devices, games, showbags and/or show food canteens at Australian agricultural shows
• May be an itinerant trader (non-guild member or a showmen/women operating outside the defined amusement area) If you are unsure if an Itinerant trader is eligible please ask them to complete FORM 8 and include with your submission.

OR

• Is a member of one of the following guilds or association:

– Victorian Showmen’s Guild

– The Showmen’s Guild of Australasia

– The Showmen’s Guild of South Australia

– West Australian Showmen’s Association Inc.

– Showmen’s Guild of Tasmania

and must have incurred one of the following:

• Incurred showground rental expenses in the defined amusements area
• Incurred showground rental expenses in the showbags area
• Incurred showground rental expenses in a space allocated by an agricultural show society.

The Victorian Showmen’s Guild is administering the SASW Program nationally.

Should you have any queries in relation to the program you may contact the Victorian Showmen’s Guild via the dedicated program email or mobile number:

Email         SASWPRogram@gmail.com

Phone       03 9376 8544

Mobile      0499 884 757

Ag Shows Australian (ASA) and/or the state and territory peak bodies may also be able to assist you, should you have any queries

Supporting Agricultural Showmen and Women – Showground Rental Relief program, is administered by Victorian Showmen’s Guild on behalf of the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry. The program is designed to provide rental relief to travelling showmen and women at eligible agricultural shows in country and regional Australia.