Council has received an application to renew the licence to Moruya Rodeo for a five-year period, and the licence was publicly notified for six weeks from 7 December 2022 to 31 January 2023.
The 2022/2023 events were allowed to be held and now Council will now return to consider renewing the licence.
The event fees for use of Council reserves are in accordance with Council’s adopted fees and charges. Fees in 2023 are estimated at $1,900 with a bond payable prior to the event.
Before the councillors, on Tuesday 28th March, 2023 is the RECOMMENDATION THAT
1. Council receive and note the petition ‘Rodeos in Eurobodalla’.
2. Council notes it has considered the submissions and petitions received in relation to the requested renewal of the licence for the Moruya Rodeo.
3. Council considers the following options:
Option 1: That Council grant a five-year licence to the Rodeo Association of Moruya to conduct the annual Moruya Rodeo within Crown Reserve 580020, Moruya Showground, including the following conditions:
(a) The licence fee in accordance with Council’s adopted fees and charges.
(b) Provision of evidence of $20 million public liability insurance.
(c) All relevant legislation, in particular in relation to animal welfare, must be complied with. (d) Licence conditions generally in line with the previous licence and the standard Crown licence.
Option 2: That Council does not approve a renewal of the licence for the Moruya Rodeo.
A total of 1,818 submissions were received - 464 in support and 1,354 opposed to the Moruya Rodeo Licence Proposal.
The report to Council states:
The main issues raised in submissions are identified in the paragraphs below, but these do not constitute a complete list of all the issues raised in the submissions.
Copies of all submissions received by Council are attached for Councillor’s consideration. These numbers include ones which appear to be duplicates. These have been provided to Councillors for completeness as it is difficult to be certain they are actually duplicates.
A total of 1,098 opposing proforma submissions, some with minor variants, were received.
The issues raised in the proforma submissions opposing the Licence Proposal included animal welfare concerns as well as concerns about Council processes. In particular, proforma submissions raised concerns about animal cruelty and distress.
A total of 256 other opposing submissions which differed from the proforma were received.
The issues raised in these opposing submissions also included animal welfare concerns. In particular, a number of submissions raised issues about animal exploitation and suffering.
A total of 464 supportive submissions were received. These submissions voiced support for the Moruya Rodeo event. In particular, submissions confirmed regular attendance and that it is an historic event for the town and mentioned not observing instances of animal cruelty at this event.
Petitions
At the Council meeting on 22 November 2022, Council received and noted a “Petition Regarding Animal Cruelty at Rodeos” objecting to the rodeo at Moruya Showground. A petition titled ‘Rodeos in Eurobodalla’ in support of the rodeo at Moruya Showground was received during the exhibition period.
Council has also received a submission against the renewal from an organisation interested in the treatment of animals which states that it is a petition, however it does not comply with the rules for petitions set out on Council’s website and Code of Meeting Practice.
On considering the submissions and listening to speakers during Public Forum on Tuesday March 28th Council will then decide at their Council meeting whether to grant a five-year licence to Rodeo Association of Moruya to conduct the annual Moruya Rodeo at the Moruya Showground.
Above: "so..... it all comes down to nine humans voting on what they consider to be historical, cultural, entertaining and financially good for the town?".
