The Nowra and Moruya rodeos are casualties of the ongoing bushfire crisis and highway closures.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Nowra event was due to begin on Sunday, December 29, but organisers said fires in the Shoalhaven forced its cancellation for the safety of "livestock, competitors and spectators".
The Moruya committee announced the cancellation of the annual New Year's Day event on its website "in respect for competitors and spectators who travel to this event".
"A recent outbreak of fire threatens the Moruya area and the committee hopes that there will be no losses to the community," the statement said, referring to a bushfire in Deua River Valley, north-west of Moruya, which began on Boxing Day.
The rodeos draw competitors and spectators from around NSW and all along the coast.
The cancellations are another blow to retailers and tourism operators doing it tough since November 26, when the Currowan fire broke out. That blaze now stretches from Batemans Bay to Nowra and west towards Braidwood. The Princes Highway has been repeatedly closed and the Kings Highway remains closed until the end of January.
"Due to the ongoing fire danger in the Shoalhaven and following advice from the RFS, we have made the decision to cancel the 2019 Nowra Rodeo," organisers said.
"This was not an easy decision to make, but the safety of livestock, competitors and spectators is paramount.
"All online tickets will be refunded.
"We will return in 2020.
"Please spread the word."