NO GRANDSTAND FOR NEXT YEAR’S SHOW

KIAMA Council has come under fire from patrons at the Kiama Show for not providing grandstand access for the second year running.

And council says a new grandstand wont be ready for 2008 the 160th Kiama Show either.

Despite the anger of organisers and showgoers alike, council has made clear that even in the advent of funding becoming available for the pavilion project the grandstand will not be available for use next year.

With high temperatures last Friday and a blustery southerly on the Saturday afternoon, visitors to the show were at a loss to find any shelter.

The Kiama Independent received several complaints from spectators who were forced to cut short their visit because of the weather conditions.

With 2007 a highly successful year for show organisers, publicity officer Karen Beasley said the lack of a grandstand provided the only disappointment of the whole weekend.

Not having use of the grandstand meant that patrons experienced limited areas to sit and relax, less protection from the blustering southerly and were therefore unable to fully enjoy the show judging and entertainment, she said.

With our show growing each year suitable facilities for show patrons are a must.

Treasurer Vic East was also concerned that the lack of a grandstand affected gate takings.

It is disappointing that a new grandstand is not finished.

It definitely affects the number of people coming along who are not prepared to sit out in the open.

Agreeing with the comments, Kiama Tourism manager Nicole Smithers said that the hot sun on Friday made conditions nearly unbearable for the elderly.

There was no shade available whatsoever.

I saw a lot of old people waving paper above their heads, trying to come up with an alternative arrangement, she said.

It is really disappointing to see the grandstand still out of action you would think that they could have come up with something to provide a bit of protection for the weekend.

Council has been pushing the sun safety issue for a while now so you would think they may have been better prepared.

Director of Engineering and Works Bryan Whittaker said council are still anxiously awaiting the announcement of funding for the pavilion project from both the state and federal governments.

The existing grandstand has been assessed by a structural engineer and cannot be used in the interest of public safety, he said.

Should funding become available construction would not be able to start until after the 2008 show in order to avoid disruption to the show.

It should also be noted that council has provided additional seating on the western side of the grounds to minimise the impact of the closed grandstand seating, Mr Whittaker said.