Mount Isa City Council has cancelled the Isa Street Festival due to be held Wednesday, August 11.
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The cancellation of the popular Rodeo Week is a further blow to the city following the cancellation a day earlier of the Tuesday night concert at the rugby grounds due to the unavailability of headline act Daryl Braithwaite who is stuck in lockdown.
Mount Isa Mayor Danielle Slade said the health and safety of residents could not be guaranteed at an open event in the city centre with no way of enforcing contact tracing.
"This was a difficult decision to make however the health and safety of attendees, the community and staff has to come first," Cr Slade said.
"People will be disappointed and we apologise for that, however we believe this is the right decision to make."
Despite no lockdown in the North West and encouraging signs from Brisbane about the possible end of their lockdown on Sunday, Cr Slade said they had to make the decision to cancel on Friday as this was the last day they could make the decision to cancel without incurring major costs to Council and to stallholders who were planning to set up on the day.
Council is now planning to organise a Virtual Street Parade competition and encourages all parade entrants to keep preparing their floats.
"Please film your parade entry and send it in to Council - we can publish your video on our Facebook page and give prizes to the winners," Cr Slade said.
"Council is now looking at ways to host the travelling stallholders and show ride providers in the CBD, such as by providing another free community event in the future, in addition to the 2022 Isa Festival."
Cr Slade said the Rodeo and Mailman Express events would go ahead as normal as ticketed events and she asked Mount Isa residents to support them.
"They are looking at lots of good options to make them COVID safe," she said.
"I know Mount Isa Rodeo is doing it tough this year so I'd like to put out a call to all Mount Isa locals to get behind the rodeo."
Cr Slade said they had invited Show people with rides to have access to the CBD so they can have have ride and food available all rodeo week.
She said they were looking at something to replace the Street Fest in the months ahead.
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