ONE of the Upper Hunter's long-held traditions is once again up for debate.
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A half day public holiday for the Scone Cup, which takes place in May, has applied to towns across the region.
But a survey conducted by Upper Hunter Shire Council is calling for the community to determine the Cup's future over the next two years.
The survey asks whether or not the half day holiday (from noon) should continue and adds an option for Merriwa and Cassilis to be included among the towns.
Scone Race Club CEO Sarah Wills said while the public holiday was an important tradition, she was not against a change being made.
“The concern for this community is that they have to pay penalty rates,” she said.
“We have to pay them, and it doesn't make a difference if it finishes at 6pm or midnight for us.
“But to help the hospitality venues, I'd be happy to say ‘stop it at 6 o'clock.’
“I don't think people should be obligated to work, so this might be the best way to go.”
Scone Sporties’ Michael Hollingsworth also believed a shift to a part day holiday would be beneficial.
Mr Hollingsworth said it was difficult for local businesses to cater for the sheer volume of numbers arriving in town during the two days of the Cup.
![POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Scone Race Club’s CEO Sarah Wills says she understands the community’s concerns about penalty rates for the Scone Cup’s half day holiday in May. POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Scone Race Club’s CEO Sarah Wills says she understands the community’s concerns about penalty rates for the Scone Cup’s half day holiday in May.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-rJkJNFPcdBkDQKqtkgHSjA/cf740c9d-2d01-4416-94a7-266e9ef19d7c.JPG/r0_301_3008_1999_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
“I understand the race club’s position that they want a public holiday so more locals can go,” he said.
“We’ve never wanted to eradicate that, but we nearly didn’t open last year so I’d be all for a part day holiday.
“It’s not about making money, it’s about breaking even; there’s all these extra costs involved and that just makes it very difficult.”
In previous surveys, most respondents supported the Scone Cup holiday arrangement.
Upper Hunter Shire mayor Wayne Bedggood said businesses would need to make a decision on whether to open on the day.
“If the majority of the community wants the day off, then it's a very difficult decision to be made to keep everyone happy,” he said.
“Every person has a different take on it depending on their needs but at the end of the day council will do what's best for the majority, whilst taking the concerns of the rest into consideration to see if a compromise is possible.
“We already do this by accommodating parts of the shire with an exemption from the public holiday.”
Council will gather the results from the survey before making a request to the NSW Minister for Industrial Relations, who determines arrangements for local public holidays.
Individuals, businesses and organisations are encouraged to have their say by completing a survey on the council’s website www.upperhunter.nsw.gov.au under ‘Hot Topics’.
The survey will close on January 29.