Bendigo Council retains public holiday on race day — ABC News Australia

The City of Greater Bendigo Council in Australia decided to retain the local public holiday on the day of the Bendigo Cup horse race in Bendigo for another five years. Four council members voted in favour of the decision at a meeting on Monday, while one voted against it.

Under the decision, Wednesday, 28 October, a week before the Melbourne Cup, will be a public holiday in part of the municipality. At the same time, residents of areas east of the Campaspe River, including Heathcote, will continue to have a public holiday on Melbourne Cup Day.

Survey results

The decision was preceded by a public survey involving 2,672 people. About 38% of respondents supported retaining the public holiday on Bendigo Cup Day, 36.5% supported moving it to Melbourne Cup Day, and 24.7% chose the Friday of the Bendigo Show.

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As ABC News Australia reports, more than half of surveyed business representatives, who accounted for 4% of all responses, supported moving the public holiday to Melbourne Cup Day. They cited difficulties in operating businesses and a desire to align the date with the rest of the state of Victoria.

Positions of the council and organisers

The only council member who voted against it, Aaron Spong, said that business feedback should have been given greater weight. He stressed the importance of practicality and predictability for businesses.

Councillor Andrea Metcalf, who put forward the motion, cited an estimate by consulting firm IER and council data: the 2025 Bendigo Cup generated local economic activity worth between $2.9 million and $3.2 million, and the event was attended by more than 6,500 people. The Bendigo Jockey Club welcomed the decision. The final decision on the local public holiday must be made by the state government after the council submits its proposal.