HAMILTON Rotary has advised that unfortunately it has had to make the decision to cancel the free New Year’s Eve Family Party - and all the activities that were to be held at the Hamilton Showgrounds from 6pm on December 31.

They stressed however, that the fireworks are still going ahead as planned at 10pm.

Hamilton Rotary New Year’s Eve Family Party coordinator, James Dishon, said the decision was made due to risk management assessment and public liability insurance. 

“We’ve had advice from Rotary district headquarters not to proceed,” he said. 

“It’s just unfortunate it’s to do with public liability insurance and risk management issues.

“It probably goes back to an incident that occurred in Tasmania a few years ago - a terrible tragedy that occurred when an inflatable ride was hit by a gust of wind and there were fatalities.

“As a result, Rotary is ultra cautious about running such events.

“That’s just the reality of public liability - it is going to be harder and harder to run any type of event like this in the future.

“There were free rides, Rotary train, face painting, Lions barbecue, live music - MisTaBeaT - plus displays by the local fire brigade and State Emergency Services and it was all free to the public.”

Daryl Barr from Barr’s Amusements in Portland was booked to bring the jumping castle, the giant slide, laser tag and an activity centre and said he was greatly disappointed at the late notice cancellation of a big event that he said was not helped by Southern Grampians Shire Council (SGSC) implementing a ‘no inflatables’ policy.

“This is the third event locally that has been cancelled at late notice because of insurance and risk management in recent weeks,” he said.

“The council said that they were banning all inflatable rides so we replaced the rides that used inflatables with go-karts, a chair-o-plane, laser tags and mini golf but then Rotary couldn’t get their insurance approved.

“We’re very disappointed.

“Four years ago, our insurance was $4000 - now it’s more than $16,000.

“We were told for a previous event that we needed $20 million cover. Our insurance is $16500 each year - that’s only for $10 million.

“Of that, $1300 is collected in GST and $200 in stamp duty. That’s almost 10 per cent that goes to the State Government.

“Now we are told that the certificate of currency is barely worth the paper it’s written on because the council has banned all inflatables.

“But that has a flow on effect that is taking a lot of good people out of the (amusement) rides business.

“The thing is they can’t hold everyone responsible.

“It would be like saying - with a car accident, when (there’s a fatality) - you don’t take all the cars off the roads but in this case, they’ve taken the inflatables out of events.

“It’s getting to the point where there won’t be any small amusement ride businesses.” 

“It’s the kids that will miss out on a free event.

“Rotary put it all on for the kids - and for Hamilton.

“Even if they (Rotary) did proceed - Council still said ‘no inflatables’ - it’s the inflatables that are the popular rides.

“Council has to take some ownership of this.”

SGSC director of wellbeing, planning and regulation, Rory Neeson, confirmed that Council does not have insurance cover for inflatables.

“It’s very disappointing the event was cancelled,” he said.

“It’s very unfortunate - however, we understand it’s due to insurance issues that Rotary have made this decision.

“However, Council’s fireworks event will still proceed as planned.”

Mr Dishon said the event had been running in some form at least for the last 15 years - initially in the street before moving to the Showgrounds. 

“It’s a great shame,” he said.

“We are extremely disappointed particularly for the hundreds of children and their families that look forward to the event each year - a free event.

“We had been waiting for the risk assessment - but unfortunately, we got notification at 4pm (on Thursday) that we weren’t proceeding.

“We’ve tried to let everyone know as early as possible with plenty of notice.

“The fireworks will go ahead as planned at 10pm.”

The fireworks viewing area has been shifted to outside the perimeter of the Showgrounds, after initial planning was for attendees to view the spectacle on the grounds.