Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the decision was “incredibly disappointing” but the council had to put community safety first. The shutdown overshadowed the announcement that British pop star Sophie Ellis-Bextor would headline the Mardi Gras Bondi Beach party on February 24.
On Wednesday morning,Mardi Gras chief executive Gil Beckwith said alternatives for Fair Day would be assessed,but the event had been 12 months in the planning and it was unlikely the organisation could shift venues at such short notice. By afternoon,the organisation had ruled out a relocation for Sunday.
Beckwith said Mardi Gras only had a core team of 15 people,plus up to 12 temporary staff brought on for the festival. Bumping in for Fair Day took a week and the team had been setting up already when the council decision was made.
“For us to move it to a new space within a few days is actually pretty well nigh on impossible,though obviously we would love to be able to because the punishment for our community through this is enormous,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Premier’s office said they had met with Mardi Gras staff to offer support and possible alternative venues after news of the contamination broke. “We respect their advice that it is not viable to move an event of such scale and complexity as Fair Day to an alternative venue for this Sunday,” the spokesperson said.
Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne also offered up Camperdown Memorial Rest Park in Newtown,Leichhardt Oval or Henson Park in Marrickville as alternative venues.