19 January, 2022
Cambooya Australia Day celebrations going ahead with changes
The Cambooya Australia Day Committee have made a few changes to their event next Wednesday at Cambooya Recreation Grounds in order to comply with public health directives while still celebrating Australia Day.
The changes were influenced by Toowoomba Regional Council's (TRC) decision earlier this week to endorse invitation-only award presentations as the preferred option for community Australia Day events in the region.
To minimise the potential of spreading COVID-19, there will be no barbecue and attendees will need to bring their own chairs or picnic blankets.
There will be a coffee van operating which people can buy food from.
The event has been streamlined, beginning at 9am and is expected to take less than an hour.
Local Brendan Bernier from Cambooya is the ambassador and will make a speech.
Lions cakes will be given out to attendees upon the conclusion of the event as they exit.
To follow public health directives regarding social distancing, attendance to the event will be capped.
However, organisers do not believe that this limit will be reached.
During the discussion by councillors about the Australia Day events, Cr Carol Taylor spoke about her history with the Cambooya event, its importance to the community and what it means for award winners to be acknowledged in front of a crowd.
Deputy Mayor Geoff McDonald also noted that public health directives from Queensland Health are subject to change at short notice and the current COVID surge is expected to begin peaking on 24 January, lasting for at least two weeks.
Elsewhere across the region, Toowoomba City and Pittsworth have chosen to directly follow TRC's advice by making their events invitation-only.
Highfields has instead held their ceremony this week while Oakey is going ahead with the activities they had originally planned.
The Cambooya & District Australia Day Awards is a free outdoor event that is open to all.
It will be a requirement to check in and there will be hand sanitation available.
