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ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Ekka cattle stoush prompts calls for new blood on RNA council
A stoush over cattle competitions at the Ekka has led to calls for change on the council that organises the event. Disappointed producers say the changes, which see many cattle events completed before the gates open to the general public, have taken the heart out of Queensland's Royal Show. As some exhibitors question if they will return, others are calling for long-serving Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) councillors to make way for new blood. But the RNA said beef events were open to the public, and a record number of exhibitors reflected the their relevance. Riverina Santa Gertrudis stud breeder Rob Sinnamon has been exhibiting at the Ekka for more than 50 years, this year winning Reserve Champion Cow. He is also a life member of the RNA, but this year he questioned the relevance of Queensland's largest agricultural show on social media. "It's becoming more and more challenging to justify the cost and expense of showing at Brisbane Royal," he said. In April, the RNA announced there would be no prime beef competition in 2025, ahead of its move to Dalby next year. Unlike stud cattle which are bought by graziers to breed from, prime cattle are bought by meatworks and feedlots for beef production. Mr Sinnamon said connecting with the supply chain was an important benefit of exhibiting. "Those commercial cattlemen would all come to the show to see their cattle judged and benchmark their performance," he said. "The local agent would say, 'Let's have a look at the stud judging, you need to buy some bulls this year'. "That was the key reason why seed stock producers such as myself would show in Brisbane." Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ekka ran for 10 days from Friday to Sunday, with school and led steer competitions starting the Monday before. After being cancelled in 2020 and again in 2021 just days before gates were to open, when the event returned it was shortened to nine days, opening on the Saturday. "Our beef week has always run the week before the show, so the cattle move in a week earlier ... stud beef cattle judging always happens at the end of that week," RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said. "When we used to run from a Thursday, we'd be open half a day, we wouldn't do a night show and then we'd run to a Saturday — those two days of stud beef were full in show." Mr Christou said the decision to condense the format was made in consultation with producers for safety reasons. He said there was restricted access available to about 1,000 members of the public on the Friday before Ekka opened. Cattle producer Bryce Camm knows what it takes to put on a major beef event, having served as the chairman of Beef Australia from 2018 to 2024. He said not having general public access to the entire cattle competition was a missed opportunity. "Promoting agriculture is a core focus of why the Ekka exists," he said. Mr Camm urged long-serving RNA councillors to consider moving on to allow fresh faces to join the committee. "I say that with the utmost respect ... a lot of good people that have served around that table and many still do," he said. "I was involved in the Future Directions Committee of the Ekka 20 years ago, and sadly, some of those people that were on the council 20 odd years ago remain there today. Mr Camm said the event was critical to connect the broader community to agriculture, a sentiment echoed by Shane McCarthy, the general president of peak farm lobby AgForce. "That they're [cattle] not there when it's open to the public is not ideal," Mr McCarthy said. "We need to sell our story to the general public, and that's one way we do it. "They get to see the animals, they get to see the judge and they get to see all that, how it's all done." RNA beef committee chair Gary Noller said almost 1,400 head of cattle were judged this year, with increases in the stud, led steer and paddock to palate competitions. "The record numbers in our beef competitions reflect the success and relevance of our competitions." But Mr McCarthy said that did not guarantee the industry would be there next year. "The agricultural shows are not just for the rides, we need the animals there. "We need to show the agricultural side to the urban public, so they get an understanding of what quality we've got."
ABC News
11-08-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Ekka to run uninterrupted until Olympic Games, government says
The Queensland government has promised there will be no disruptions to the Ekka until 2032, ahead of upgrades at the Brisbane Showgrounds starting next week. Before the Olympic Games, an athletes' village and a new 20,000-seat arena will be built at the site, which hosts the annual Queensland Agricultural Show. The government is also planning to upgrade two stands at the venue ahead of the Games. It's not yet clear what events will be held at the showgrounds. Speaking to the media on Monday, Premier David Crisafulli said the public should expect to see "new life breathed into a couple of magnificent precincts" at the Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) Showgrounds. Mr Crisafulli said the works at the showgrounds marked the first time construction on any Olympic infrastructure would begin. The first tranche of works – an upgrade to two stands at the venue – will begin next week once this year's show wraps up. Construction on Machinery Hill, where the new arena will be built, will begin after the 2026 Ekka. It will mean a temporary stand for at least the 2027 Ekka as that arena will take more than a year to build, the RNA's CEO Brendan Christou said. Mr Crisafulli would not confirm what year construction on the village itself would begin, saying only it would be ready by 2032. The government would also not outline how much the development at the RNA showgrounds would cost, with Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie citing the arrangements as "commercial contractual negotiations". They were also unable to say how much of a 2,000-unit athletes' village, which will house up to 10,000 athletes during the games, would be dedicated to social and affordable housing following the event. Mr Bleijie said the government was working with the private sector and the RNA to work out what the split would be, saying it needed to "stack up" financially. Mr Christou welcomed the upgrades as a "win for regional Queensland". He said it was important the Ekka would be able to continue to run uninterrupted until 2032. "The Ekka is about celebrating agriculture and showcasing the best of Queensland, and we need to be able to keep doing that as we develop around us," he said. Mr Christou has foreshadowed "some compromises" in the years to come but he said the 150-year-old Ekka needed to continue to evolve. The upgrades to the John MacDonald and Ernest Baynes stands are also expected to improve accessibility as well as give them a "facelift", Mr Christou said. The RNA won't be funding any of the upgrades at the showgrounds, Mr Christou said, but it would weather a cost to its business throughout the construction. Some other events held at the showgrounds throughout the year would need to be adjusted or moved, he said. Mr Christou has said some Ekka events may be held in 2032 in regional areas, but it wasn't yet clear what that would look like.
Perth Now
08-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Milestone year for sweet treat at beloved annual show
A one-of-a-kind sweet treat is set to celebrate 75 years, with almost half a million people expected to help mark the milestone. From prime ministers to punters, a signature strawberry sundae has been savoured by all walks of life since its 1950 debut at the Royal Queensland Show, affectionately dubbed the Ekka. Demand is again expected to be high when the Ekka exclusive mix of fruit and dairy returns to centre stage at the Brisbane show from Saturday. About 180,000 strawberry sundaes are expected to be snapped up across the Ekka's nine days at the RNA Showgrounds. The 149th annual Ekka will feature new rides and everything from monster trucks to livestock and food stalls, attracting more than 400,000 people and injecting $200 million into the Queensland economy. However, its strawberry sundae will arguably remain the main attraction. A combination of fresh strawberries, ice cream made from a secret recipe and whipped cream in a crispy cone, the sundae is the culmination of months of preparation. About 35,000 litres of the sundae's special ice cream has reportedly been made to keep up with demand. Showgoers this year can pre-order the sundae when they buy tickets online, the show's organisers said. Wet weather is forecast for the Ekka's opening day but has not dampened expectations, with 50,000 people expected through the gates on Saturday. "It's a bit patchy in the first day or two, and then it's looking not too bad," Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA) chief executive Brendan Christou told reporters. "It's going to be a good show." The Ekka remains true to its roots as an agricultural show, with about 21,000 entries across 46 categories, including livestock, cookery and art. "That's what the Ekka is all about. It's about bringing the country to the city," Mr Christou said. More than 10,000 animals will feature - competing, in stalls or at the popular petting zoo. The Ekka will boast more than 400 showbags, an upgrade from its humble beginnings almost 150 years ago. Back in 1876, the first Ekka showbag contained only coal.
Scoop
07-08-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Defunding Of mRNA Vaccine Research In The US
This week, the US Health Department announced the cancellation of several mRNA vaccine development contracts. The cuts and restructuring of collaborations affect 22 projects worth about half a billion US dollars, and no new mRNA projects will be funded. The US Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., claimed mRNA vaccines don't provide effective protection against upper respiratory tract infections and said that funding would be shifted towards 'safer, broader vaccine platforms'. The SMC asked experts to comment on how this affects NZ and local mRNA vaccine research. Professor Kjesten Wiig, Co-director of the RNA Development Platform and Director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, comments: 'The recent decisions out of the US to cut funding for mRNA vaccine development represent a new low for the American medical and scientific community, one that risks undermining decades of progress in public health and infectious disease preparedness. 'At the Malaghan Institute, our research is not directly affected by US funding cuts. Likewise, the national RNA Development Platform continues to receive sustained support from the New Zealand Government. This backing allows us to focus on developing safe and effective RNA vaccines and therapeutics not just for human medicine but also for treatments that will benefit our primary industries, and for New Zealand specific problems. 'RNA is a proven, safe and transformative technology. Its potential extends well beyond the pandemic. In the absence of US leadership, there is an unprecedented opportunity for countries like New Zealand to step up to ensure this breakthrough science continues to benefit people globally.' No conflicts of interest. Our colleagues at the UK SMC have also gathered comments. A small selection follows—see their website for the full expert reaction. Prof Christopher Chiu, Professor of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College London, said: 'Hundreds millions of people received mRNA vaccines during the pandemic with no major ill effects, dramatically reducing the risk of severe COVID-19, hospitalisation and death. In this way, they played a critically important part in allowing society to return to normal. Overall, the mRNA vaccines have been shown to be very safe, although like all treatments they can cause side effects, mostly mild but including some rare severe reactions. It is misleading to single out mRNA vaccines for promoting mutations and failing to protect against common cold-like symptoms; this is true for all respiratory virus vaccines that are given by injection and can stimulate a protective immune response. Better protection is needed but until we have next-generation alternatives that can completely block infection in the nose and lung, mRNA vaccines will continue to be important and valuable.' No conflicts of interest. Dr David Elliman, Honorary Associate Professor, UCL, said: 'This is a very worrying development. mRNA vaccines were an extremely important tool in saving the lives of people from COVID. There is no reliable published evidence that supports RFK Jr's assertion that the vaccines encourage new mutations and, in so doing, may prolong pandemics. The evidence to support this should be made public, so that it can be examined, by experts in the field who have not been picked because of their anti-vaccine views. 'While this development is not only a retrograde step for the development of mRNA vaccines, of greater concern, perhaps, is that it reinforces the impression that, in spite of his protestations, RFK Jr is antivaccine. This has implications, not only for vaccination programmes in USA, but around the world. At a time when vaccination rates are falling globally, we need to follow the evidence, not ideologically led beliefs. Such misguided beliefs are likely to cause unnecessary suffering and death, particularly in children.' No conflicts of interest. Prof Robin Shattock, Professor of Mucosal Infection and Immunity, Imperial College London, said: What do we know about the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines? 'Following their use in millions of individuals during the pandemic and using current technology, we have an extraordinary level of detail on the safety and efficacy of mRNA vaccines. In the context of COVID-19, these vaccines prevented millions of deaths and hospitalisations. As for mRNA vaccines against other infectious these would need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Do mRNA vaccines increase the mutation rate of viruses? 'No, there is no scientific evidence that this is the case. Different viruses mutate at different rates, for example influenza virus changes on a seasonal basis, SARS-CoV2 continues to vary irrespective of whether individuals have received mRNA vaccines. What are the impacts of this funding cut on public health and health research in the US and globally? 'This will impoverish American resilience to future pandemics. But more importantly, it will be used by some to legitimise unfounded claims that mRNA vaccines and vaccines in general are unsafe. This is directly opposite to the scientific evidence-based approach to science. This technology offers real benefits not only against infectious diseases, but also in our fight against cancer, autoimmunity, and hereditary diseases. If known, what data might he [R.F. Kennedy Jr] be referring to and how does it compare with other existing evidence? 'It is unclear as to what evidence he is referring to, given that these vaccines have been highly scrutinised by regulatory bodies on an ongoing basis (FDA, EMEA, MHRA). He has provided no evidence to show that alternative vaccines are any different to mRNA vaccines concerning claims of safety and the unfounded claim that mRNA vaccines drive the mutation rate of viruses. Any other considerations you have about the claims being made? 'This is another blow against vaccine uptake in general, where for example, we are seeing the return of Measles outbreaks in the US and unnecessary deaths.' Conflict of interest statement: 'I work on RNA vaccines in an academic setting, but have no associations with any of the work that is being axed by RFK or the companies involved.'
Sydney Morning Herald
05-08-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Eight tonnes of strawberries, 180,000 cones: What goes into the Ekka's famous sundaes
As the Ekka nears, in a room somewhere at the Brisbane Showgrounds, refrigerated containers hold some incredibly valuable ingredients – the components that make up the beloved strawberry sundae. Showground staff have worked for months to source everything for their stall. That includes ordering nearly 200,000 ice-cream cones. 'There are about 180,000 cones, it's about eight tonnes of fresh strawberries that we've got coming in, thousands of litres of Lick Ice Cream will go into it, as well as the fresh cream that will go on top. It's a huge operation,' RNA chief executive Brendan Christou said. Lick Ice Cream supplied an estimated 25,000 litres of strawberry ice-cream and 15,000 litres of white ice-cream – all handmade in Brisbane. 'Believe it or not, it's all handmade locally in Brisbane and production commences in early May every year. This is our 15th year of supplying to the Ekka,' Lick chief executive Simon West explained. This will be the first year the RNA is running the food stall after the Prince Charles Hospital Foundation handed over the reins. 'It's a real logistical effort, and we've got a whole team of food and beverage staff who are doing that for us this year, and it's going to be massive,' Christou said. While the sundae itself remained unchanged – 'the recipe is exactly the same, and it's what people have grown to love' – how it would be served would be upgraded.
