Birdsville Races again fall victim to virus
One of Australia’s most iconic outback events, the Birdsville Races has fallen victim to the COVID-19 pandemic for the second year running, with organisers announcing it would be postponed until April next year.
Birdsville Race Cub president David Brook said the risks were too great given the ongoing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
“We have tried our best, but the health landscape and COVID outbreaks with this new Delta variant have changed significantly in the past two months,” he said.
Race club vice-president Gary Brook said it was a difficult decision but with the event less than a month away key staff and contractors were unable to make iit to Birdsville due to travel restrictions.
More than 85 per cent of our ticket holders reside in locations that are interstate and unable to currently enter Queensland, or in lockdown or discouraged from travelling to regional Queensland,” he said.
“The fact that key staff and contractors cannot make it to Birdsville now also jeopardises our ability to stage a successful event.
The Birdsville Races, know as the Melbourne Cup of the outback, have been held since 1882 and have only been cancelled outright twice – in 2007 due to equine flu and in 2020 due to COVID-19.
