Redlands Coast will retain its current Ekka Show Day Public Holiday on Monday 10 August with Council having to inform the State Government by next week if they wanted to change the date of the local holiday.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said today’s decision followed a request from the State Government to advise by next week if Council wanted to change the current public holiday date following a State Government announcement last week the Brisbane Ekka Holiday would be moved to Friday 14 August as a one-off.
“The change of date for Brisbane gave us the chance to look at when our holiday is held and we had started to ask the community for its feedback by opening a series of polls and engaging businesses from the end of last week,” Cr Williams said.
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“However yesterday the Minister wrote to Council’s Chief Executive Officer asking for an answer by next week, which means today would be our last chance to pass a resolution to move our public holiday.
“Given the Minister’s request for a response by next week we will halt the engagement and retain the current date and advise the Minister accordingly.”
Cr Williams said Council had a standing resolution from 2013 which would stand following today’s decision.
“In 2013 Council asked the State Government to gazette the Monday before People’s Day as our Ekka Public Holiday each year to give residents and businesses certainty so they can plan holidays and resourcing,” Cr Williams said.
“Having our public holiday on a different day to Brisbane has historically allowed local businesses to attract Brisbane residents to the city through events such as the Cleveland Crazy Day Markets, providing an economic benefit.”
Division 2 Councillor Peter Mitchell moved an urgent motion today in response to the Minister’s letter and said retaining the current public holiday would provide a benefit particularly for tourism businesses.
“Several local businesses have contacted me to say they would welcome the public holiday remaining on the 2013 planned date, which this year will provide two consecutive long weekends, helping to boost the local economy,” Cr Mitchell said.
“Tourism businesses on North Stradbroke Island, for example, have been shut down for several months and the State Government’s COVID-19 Roadmap predicts these businesses will be able to again host guests by August, giving them two long weekends to spread tourists over a longer period to support their businesses safely.”
