Sungold south-west field days struggles to find a new home

The new organisers have looked at a number of sites in and around Warrnambool but have struggled to secure an agreement, but they have not given up hope of reviving the event next year.

Goulburn Valley-based McPherson Media Group events acquired the field days in November 2021 from dairy processor Saputo, but events manager Jamie Gilbert said it had been a very difficult exercise to find a new location.

"Our company is not in this to make money. We're just trying to get this event back up and running but the hurdles we are facing are immense," Mr Gilbert told The Standard.

"The reality is the locations I've got are well outside of Warrnambool now."

Mr Gilbert said the group had been working closely with Warrnambool and Moyne Shire councils to find a suitable location that was as close to the old Allansford site as possible.

The field days - one of Victoria's premier agriculture events - had been running since 1981 and was traditionally held opposite the Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory near Allansford.

Mr Gilbert said ongoing use of the Allansford site was not part of the agreement with Saputo which had plans to repurpose the land.

He said the group had surveyed seven or eight different new locations.

"Some of those weren't suitable and the ones that were, we haven't been able to find an agreement with the management of those locations to be able to hold the event there," he said.

"We think it's in the best interest of the people and farmers of that south-west region to have a local field days down there.

"We'll continue to look for where we can place this event and try and get it back up and running for 2024."

He called on anyone with ideas for locations to host the event to reach out to MMG events.

The cost of running the event on a "blank slate" location came with significant infrastructure costs.

"Given the field days are usually held in February, time has run out, so unfortunately we've had to make the tough decision to postpone the 2023 event while our search for a suitable site continues," he said.

The last event was held 2020 and, after taking it over, the revamped event had been set to return in 2023.

Re-branded as the Sungold South West Field Days, Mr Gilbert said organisers were committed to its future in the region once a partnership was established with avenue that would welcome an event of this size and nature.

"With its focus on dairy innovation and agricultural machinery and products, the Sungold South West Field Days is a great addition to our calendar of events, which also includes the Seymour Alternative Farming Expo and the Wild Deer Hunting Expo," he said.

The family-owned MMG also publishes Dairy News Australia, Rural Business, Small Farms and a range of other national and regional publications.

When it was first announced the event was on the move, Moyne council said it was keen to keep the event in its shire.

The event had previously won 'event of the year' at the shire's Australia Day awards.

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