UNCERTAINTY around one of Bendigo's most iconic events may prevent it from returning in 2022.
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Bendigo Easter Fair Society president Simon Mulqueen has called on the state government to provide clarity on whether they can proceed with organising the 2022 event.
The city's Easter fair was due to celebrate its 150th year in 2020 but coronavirus restrictions have seen it cancelled two years in a row.
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Mr Mulqueen said the 2022 Bendigo Easter Fair would be key to helping the community get back on track.
"We have done the hard yards in terms of vaccination and are likely to be 90 percent vaccinated by the end of this month," he said. "So we want the clarity from government to be able to proceed and organise the Easter fair for 2022.
"It takes a long time to organise an event this size. The fair is the biggest regional event in Victoria in our view and we need time to put plans in place - particularly given that it is the 150th fair.
"Plans postponed from two years ago are ready to go, we just need time to implement them."
The traditional Easter parade is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the city centre.
"The last fair was a big one - the Bendigo Chinese Association launched the new Chinese dragon and there were about 80,000 people at that event," Mr Mulqueen said. "We expect similar numbers to that (in 2022).
"We are happy to wear masks and do what the government wants us to do in terms of COVID safety if it means can have our festival."
Mr Mulqueen said the parades were an essential part of the fair.
"We've been parading in the streets since 1871, so if we don't have parades it's not the Easter fair," he said. "We can gate some aspects of the event, have QR codes for rides and so on, and are even happy to wear masks at the parade if that's what the government wants.
"But we just want the ability for people to come into the city, vaccinated or unvaccinated. We expect by Easter 2022 (Victoria) will be close to 95 per cent vaccinated. So if not 2022, then when?
"(The City of Greater Bendigo) who are the organising body for the Easter Fair, have been talking to the government constantly to try and get in place plans that allow the fair to happen.
"Whether they are getting much response is the question. But they are certainly trying."
Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the Bendigo Easter Fair provided a lot to the region.
"It brings thousands of tourists to town who fill motels and restaurants and buy things in the retail sector," she said. "It is so vital for the economy but also for people in Bendigo.
"The fair has already delayed its 150th parade by two years. They don't want to have to do that again. The government has to give the Easter fair committee a guarantee that they can go ahead with a non-ticketed event.
"It's an outdoor event, people will still be walking in the streets together anyway. There is no reason why a safe Easter fair can't go ahead."
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Deputy leader of the opposition David Southwick said there needed to be more focus on regional events.
"We have just come off the Melbourne Cup," he said. "If you put as much effort into getting crowds to a Melbourne Cup, we should be able to do the same kind of things in the regions."
"Why aren't we doing more to ensure we can get the parade out so people can publicly enjoy and celebrate it after having years of lockdowns and uncertainty?
"You can't turn on the key for an event overnight. It takes months of planning. The parade and committee just need certainty and the government needs to give all the support necessary to get the parade out and about."
Mr Mulqueen said postponing the Easter Fair for a third year in a row would be devastating.
"It was devastating for the Eaglehawk community to lose the Dahlia and Arts Festival, but without clarity, you can't move forward,' he said.
"They were under a lot of pressure to get things in place and couldn't get clarity from the government. It needs to be something more than 'you'll be right'. We need something in writing that says 'you can proceed'."
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