CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT
QUEEN ST COWBOYS: Queensland’s three-day weekend lockdown has been extended until at least Sunday afternoon following another daily increase in local cases.
This new means that the Brisbane Ekka Show, due to begin this Friday, will be cancelled for the second year running – as Queenslanders learn that there is no point planning any events under this current government.
The local government areas of from the Sunny Coast to Ipswich to Logan will remain under strict stay at home orders until 4pm Sunday, in a bid to quash the most recent Delta Outbreak.
Deputy Queensland Premier Steven Miles said that he “desperately” hopes the eight-day lockdown will be enough to stamp out the spread, but unfortunately had to make the call that Queensland’s annual Ekka will have to be cancelled for the second year running.
“We’ve had to make the very regrettable decision to advise the Ekka to cancel their event for this year,” Mr Miles said.
“I know that’s sad and disappointing for many, many Queenslanders who love their annual ritual, their annual trip to the Ekka.”
Mr Miles said QLD just can’t afford to have an event like that where people travel into town, circulate in large numbers, and spread this new virus, like they used to spread the flu.
However, Miles said he had consulted with the Agricultural sector, in a rare first for Queensland Labor, and will soon introduce special exemptions for any rural Australians that have made their way into town for the show and now have nothing to do.
“We want to make this trip into the big smoke worth it for our farmers” he said.
“So I’ve advised the Jubilee Hotel to remain operational to keep these bushies occupied”
“Patrons will need to bring photo ID to prove that they are from the bush, and they’ll be able to drink as much as they want”
But Miles said he’s also going to set a few challenges for the rural Australians stuck in the city, in the unlikely circumstance that they get bored of drinking rum and beer.
“I’ve told the showgrounds to let a couple hundred head of cattle loose on Queen street”
“So any young ringers are stuck in Brisbane and are looking for something to do. Bit of droving work going
